Pakistan, June 20 -- There is a dire need for us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our cities. At present, our cities act more like chimneys, pumping carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. A lion's share of these emissions comes directly from private vehicles that are powered by fossil fuels.

Apart from carbon dioxide emissions, private vehicles also cause congestion, which incurs a huge financial loss to our economy. As per a working paper by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) UK, Karachi city alone loses 663 million rupees (i.e., over 4 million pounds) each day due to traffic congestion.

Over the span of a year, the cumulative financial loss due to traffic congestion in Karachi skyrockets to almo...