LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz formally launched the first electric bus service in the provincial capital on Friday.

Transport Minister Bilal Akbar briefed the chief minister about the electric bus service pilot project. It was informed that the bus has a GPS location recorder, Wi-Fi, USB port and other facilities. It will have a capacity of 30 seats, while 80 passengers can travel in it simultaneously.

The bus will have ramps and seats reserved for differently abled passengers. For the first time, an anti-slip sheet has been used on the bus floor for the protection of passengers.

Nine specific charging stations have been set up at Green Town Hamdard Chowk depot for these buses. Each bus will cover a distance of 250km per charge and may complete its route four times in one charge.

Each bus will have a route displayed for the convenience of commuters. Closed-circuit cameras will also be installed to prevent harassment incidents. The CM was told that 27 electric buses would be operating on city’s longest 21km route – from railway station to Green Town via Queens Road, Mozang, Ferozepur Road and PU Campus Bridge.

A formal launching of the e-bus service will start in mid-February as 42 state-of-the-art bus shelters are being built along its route and buses will arrive after every nine minutes. The fare may be paid through digital wallets and digital cards. Universal transport cards will also be issued. A special app will also be introduced so as to enable bus tracking.

The chief minister directed installation of solar fans and water coolers at bus stands and ordered installation of safe city cameras at every bus stand as well.

Later, presiding over a meeting on the e-taxi scheme, she directed the authorities concerned to consider the prospects of assembling e-taxi in Punjab along with the steps to establish electric charging stations in collaboration with the private sector.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2025