Why is facilitated transport a passsive transport?

Facilitated transport is not a passive transport mechanism, it is an active transport mechanism. In facilitated transport, a solute moves across a cell membrane with the help of a transport protein without the need for ATP. The transport protein binds to the solute on one side of the membrane, changes shape, and releases the solute on the other side of the membrane. This process requires energy from the cell, but not in the form of ATP directly, but in the form of a concentration gradient. Therefore, facilitated transport is not considered a passive transport mechanism.