Lahore Transportation Guide: City Bus, Mini Van & Donkey Cart

Lahore has tons of different bus companies and private mini vans plying set bus routes around the city and to its suburbs. The problem is, there is no publication or website telling anyone what these bus routes are. Each bus or mini van will have number clearly marked on its windshield. The number indicates the route. Talk to locals to find out which route goes where.

The best and safest option is the Daewoo city bus. It is air-conditioned in summer and costs a little bit more, but you will likely feel much more comfortable on the Daewoo than on the other local buses. Daewoo is kept relatively clean and drivers keep to professional standards. Many well-dressed students and office workers ride the Daewoo. There is a separate ladies' section in the front of the bus. Ladies should not sit or stand in the men's section. If you must sit next to a man, pick a young boy or and old baba ji with a white beard.

Daewoo bus #5 goes all the way from Defence to the Old City of Lahore. In Defence you can pick up the #5 at Y-Block market (near HKB department store), at T-Block market, G-Block market near KFC, or at the LESCO office on Ghazi Road in Z Block. Major stops along the way include Cavalry Ground (Cantonment), Liberty Market, Main Market Gulberg, Kinnaird College (Jail Road), Lahore College (Jail Road), and the Lahore Railway Station (Old Lahore). To find out the whole route, you basically need to ride the bus all the way from Defence to the Railway Station and back yourself to see where it goes. When you get on, you must tell the ticket master where you plan to stop so you can pay the appropriate fee. Travel by bus is much cheaper than by rickshaw or by taxi, and quite comfortable if you can get a seat.

For the Daewoo #5, it doesn't seem like there is a set schedule. It comes once in an hour or so. If you ride it often, you might figure out the times, but it doesn't usually seem consistent.

Mini vans go by the same routes, but passengers are generally packed in like sardines. The drivers are more maniacal than bus drivers, and you are more likely to get into an accident. They are cheaper than the Daewoo bus and more frequent, but inevitably less comfortable and more dangerous. Ladies sit in front with the driver.

Tonga (Donkey Cart)

Riding across town on a donkey cart is Lahore's equivalent of the slow boat to China. Tongas are usually used to carry heavy and odd-shaped loads such as furniture, chunks of ice, or mounds of trash. They also transport people for the lowest fare of all modes of public transport. You'll be hard-pressed to find an English, or even Urdu speaking tonga driver, but if you're going somewhere that's not too far and can pronounce the name, you can probably get there. Some tongas ply regular routes to bring children or young adults to school. Of course, riding on a tonga offers no security from staring eyes or various other road hazards. I have never seen a foreigner riding on a tonga in Lahore, but hey there's a first for everything. Not recommended for women unless wearing a loose burka to cover yourself.