Sustainable Urban Transport in Pakistan: An Institutional Analysis

The study of transport institutions in Pakistan indicates that transport solutions are primarily a matter of the export of knowledge from the developed to the developing world, mainly driven by international development institutions. This transfer results in a mismatch of transport policy with local needs. The aim of this article is to explain this mismatch in urban transport capacity in Pakistan. By applying the theoretical framework of path dependence, the article explores how urban transport solutions in Lahore become locked-in over time as a result of weak institutional capacities in local institutions. The article concludes that the institutional field in path dependence requires full treatment for institutional change to occur in order to develop sustainable urban transport policies in Pakistan.