Conversations in Transit

PAKISTAN PHOTO FESTIVAL  FELLOWSHIP PROJECT BY |  Maryam Altaf

The project explores the idea of a shared economy in Pakistan. The inquiry began by looking at the demographics within a particular app-based taxi hailing service and has henceforth, become part of a wider investigation into the privatized economy and what role the state has to play. The questions it highlights are; reasons for driving, need for a second job, unfair competition/anti-competitive pricing, lack of regulation, lack of tech-infrastructure to base these services on, workers’ rights, insurance and safety, privatization, lack of/reduction of welfare programs, lack of/removal of long-term employment trends, political practices, transport and infrastructure, general public services, exclusion of some groups of people from consumption of such services, transitory nature of such jobs, relocation from other parts of the country, what makes it successful and where the scheme falls apart.