Driving between Lahore and Multan? How to fill your empty seats on the M-3

Lahore to Multan is a four-hour motorway run that a lot of people make with the back seats empty: students going home to South Punjab, people who work in Lahore and have family in Multan, Muzaffargarh or Bahawalpur, and the weekend and Eid trips in between. If you are the one driving, sharing those seats is the simplest way to cut what the trip costs you.

Passengers are already looking. In the two weeks after 21 October, visitors searched Sawarri’s ride board for a ride to Multan 17 times, and two passengers asked for a seat from Lahore: one to Multan, one to Multan Cantt or Muzaffargarh. Over the same weeks only two rides were listed on this road, one in each direction, and on 4 November there were none. A driver who lists this trip will have it almost to themselves.

The road in short

• Distance and time: about 340 km, on the M-3 from Lahore to Abdul Hakeem and then the M-4 into Multan. Usually four to four and a half hours.
• On the M-3: interchanges at Sharaqpur, Nankana Sahib, Jaranwala, Samundri, Rajana and Pir Mahal before Abdul Hakeem. Passengers from those towns can meet you at the interchange. Never stop on the motorway itself.
• Lahore side: Thokar Niaz Baig, Valencia and the Raiwind Road side, or DHA and Kalma Chowk if you start from the east of the city.
• Multan side: agree the exact drop: Multan Cantt, the motorway interchange or a point inside the city. Muzaffargarh is just across the Chenab, and Bahawalpur is about 100 km further on through Lodhran.
• The old road: the N-5 through Okara, Sahiwal and Khanewal is slower, but it is the road to take if your passengers are going to those towns.

Who is looking for a seat

• Students at Lahore universities whose families are in Multan, Muzaffargarh, Khanewal or Bahawalpur, going home for weekends and holidays.
• People who work in one city and have family in the other.
• Passengers who only need part of the way, to a town on the M-3 or to Abdul Hakeem. Say whether you will take them and what that part of the trip costs.

What drivers charge on this road

The one Multan to Lahore ride on Sawarri last month that gave a price asked Rs 3,000 a seat, in an Alto VXL. On Lahore to Islamabad, a similar distance at about 375 km, drivers asked Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500 a seat over the same weeks. That is a sensible range for Lahore to Multan too.

Then check it against your own costs. A car that does 15 km to the litre burns about 23 litres over 340 km. Multiply that by today’s petrol price, add the M-3 and M-4 tolls, and divide by everyone in the car, yourself included. Three passengers at Rs 3,000 each bring in Rs 9,000 towards the trip.

Say clearly whether the price is per seat, whether luggage is included, and what a shorter drop costs: Pir Mahal or Abdul Hakeem instead of Multan, or Multan instead of Muzaffargarh. How to split fuel costs fairly in a carpool has a worked example.

When to post

Most trips on this road are one-off rather than a daily commute, and both rides listed in October left on a Thursday afternoon or evening, at the start of the weekend trip home. Post each trip with its date and time a few days ahead, when passengers plan. If you make the same run every week, choose Weekly under “How often” when you post, so the ride rolls on to the next week by itself.

Why post it on Sawarri

• You set the fare and keep all of it. Sawarri takes no commission.
• Your first ride is free and goes live straight away, with a “Not verified yet” tag until your documents are checked.
• Rides two to five are also free once you are verified (CNIC, licence and car). After that each ride costs 20 credits, and new driver accounts start with 20.
• Passengers call or WhatsApp you directly. You agree the pickup and the fare between you.
• Women-only is an option. Tick it, and only women can book.
• Passengers post what they need, too. The ride requests board shows people looking for a seat on your route.

How to post your ride

1. Sign up as a driver on Offer a ride.
2. Enter Lahore and Multan, and add the stops you can make: Thokar Niaz Baig, an M-3 interchange, Multan Cantt.
3. Add the date and time, the seats and the price per seat, and publish.

Before the day, agree the pickup time, fare and luggage with each passenger, meet somewhere public, and share your route with someone at home. On a four-hour trip, agree any rest stop in advance too. The safety guide covers the rest.

Looking for a seat rather than offering one? Lahore to Multan and Bahawalpur by carpool is the passenger’s guide to this road.

Related: Carpooling in Multan · Carpooling in Lahore · Driving between Lahore and Islamabad · Lahore pickup points