LAHORE, Aug 31: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced on Thursday that the government would give 20 per cent subsidy on the purchase of new CNG buses. Presiding over a high-level meeting regarding the promotion of the CNG-run transport in the province at the Chief Minister’s House, he said the Punjab Green Fund Programme was being successfully carried out while the Bank of Punjab, the Small Industries Corporation and the Punjab Cooperative Bank were ensuring provision of loans for the purchase of CNG rickshaws under the comprehensive programme.

The promotion of CNG transport, he said, was improving traffic management and environment. Diesel-run buses were being converted into CNG ones under a phased programme, he added.

He directed the officials concerned to take action against the wagons plying unlawfully on various routes and ensure implementation of the ban on two-stroke engine rickshaws on the Shahra-i-Quaid-i-Azam.

Expressing satisfaction over the green rickshaw scheme, he said it was producing wholesome effects on the environment. It would not only increase income of the drivers but also control pollution. Parking lots for these rickshaws would be fixed at the airport, railway station and at other important places.

The government, the chief minister said, would provide additional resources of Rs500 million to the Small Industries Corporation for the CNG rickshaw scheme.

He said the students would be encouraged to travel by buses as the traffic problems got intensified during school closure hours. And the government would bear subsidy on the purchase of CNG buses by the private educational institutions.

He also made it clear that CNG rickshaws would be provided to 100,000 applicants in three years in big cities.

Earlier, transport secretary Agha Nadeem briefed the participants on the promotion of CNG transport.

Punjab Transport Minister Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan pointed out that employment opportunities had been created with the introduction of four-stroke CNG rickshaws. He said radical changes were being brought about in the urban transport system of the province in accordance with the chief minister’s directions. —APP