Six surveys of the road freight transport industry in Pakistan were carried out by the Overseas Unit of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory and the National Transport Research Centre of Pakistan during 1986 to assist with transport planning and policy formulation. The main foci of the research were to investigate the organisation and financing of road freight operations, vehicle productivity and time use, and the applicability of vehicle operating cost (VOC) models to Pakistan. The surveys included an extensive and detailed roadside interview survey of truck drivers, structured interviews with freight agents and freight consignors, and the collection of cost and revenue data from truck drivers' diaries. In addition, the duration of different freight activities was closely observed by enumerators who accompanied truck drivers for up to four weeks at a time. A survey of road roughness was also carried out, and historical data on tariff levels over the past four years were collected from freight agents. A comprehensive database was established on freight transport which was used to address a wide range of research and policy issues.
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