Balochistan Halts Night-Time Bus Operations in Safety and Security Push
QUETTA — Public transport in Balochistan will no longer be allowed to operate after sunset, following a new provincial directive aimed at tightening safety and security along the province’s highways.
From now on, buses, coaches, and other passenger vehicles are barred from traveling between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. on all major routes. Any transport company caught ignoring the restriction risks losing its route permit entirely.
The announcement came after a high-level meeting in Quetta on Tuesday, chaired by Provincial Transport Secretary Muhammad Hayat Kakar and attended by representatives from various transport companies. Officials confirmed that the move aligns with the Balochistan Home Department’s recent orders to curb night travel.
Deputy commissioners across the province have been instructed to ensure the ban is strictly enforced. In addition to halting overnight journeys, transporters are now required to equip their fleets with tracking devices, station security personnel on board, and follow the province’s anti-smuggling protocols.
While authorities have not explicitly detailed the causes behind the decision, the measure follows long-standing concerns over highway robberies, smuggling activities, and poor nighttime visibility on Balochistan’s rugged routes — factors that have made night travel particularly risky in recent years.
