LAHORE: The Punjab Transport Department has completed the initial feasibility study for the Yellow Line Electric Transit Project on the Canal Road in Lahore, an initiative ordered by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to offer affordable and eco-friendly transport to the growing population of the city.

According to sources, the proposed project will span a 24-kilometer stretch from Thokar Niaz Beg to Harbanspura. Once operational, the project is expected to benefit nearly 130,000 passengers daily, easing congestion on major city routes and providing an efficient public transportation alternative. The estimated cost of the project is Rs80 billion, and the government has proposed a timeline from September 2025 to June 2026 for its completion.

The sources say that a special lane will be developed on both sides of the Canal Road for the electric buses, without disrupting the routine traffic flow. Bus stations will also be constructed on both sides of the Canal Road. To access the bus stations, underground subways and overhead bridges will also be built on the Canal Road.

They say the plan also includes establishment of another underpass on the Canal Road. Every station will also have a waiting area for the passengers, besides a system to display information about the arrival and departure of the buses, they add.

Lahore Conservation Society vows to resist tree felling along Canal Road for the mass transit initiative

The sources say the National Engineering Service Pakistan (Nespak) had submitted a proposal regarding the Yello Line project to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat for approval, while work is also underway on the Blue Line and Purple Line mass transit projects.

They say these initiatives have been designed to reduce traffic, minimise carbon emissions, and enhance commuters convenience across the city.

The Yellow Line will operate 20 electric buses sets, to be imported from China, pending approval by Punjab cabinet and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The sources further say that the plan was also submitted to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).

However, Prof Ajaz Anwer of the Lahore Conservation Society expresses serious concerns regarding the proposed Yellow Line project to be executed along the Canal Road.

He says that the most alarming aspect of this project is that nearly 1,400 mature trees along the canal will be cut down to make space for the bus lanes.

He says that this would be a devastating blow to one of Lahore’s most vital green corridors – an essential oxygen source and an ecological buffer for the city. What’s even more troubling is that the project appears to be nearing the construction stage, despite the lack of transparency in environmental approvals.

Prof Ajaz says that it is still unclear how this plan is being approved by the environment department and other regulatory bodies. “While citizens are being asked to get their vehicles tested for environmental compliance, the government itself seems to be turning a blind eye to this large-scale environmental destruction,” he deplores.

The senior conservationist requested the authorities to reconsider the project or adopt a more sustainable alternative for it. He says that a collective effort may be the only way to protect what remains of Lahore’s natural heritage.

Prof Ajaz further says that the Lahore Conservation Society will not allow felling of even a single tree. “We will start a ‘chipko (hug the tree) campaign’ if the government tries to cut any tree. The government will have to first kill us and then cut the trees,” he declared.

He says that the Metro Bus project divided the city’s natural landscape and became ‘Berlin Wall’ of Lahore. “We will continue our efforts to also tear down this wall of Berlin.”

Replying to a query about Environment Impact Assessment of the Yellow Line project, he says that he didn’t see any advertisement about the EIA of the project, alleging that the government departments were discreet about the public hearings regarding the project. “Mostly the government departments show fake public attending these hearings, who later withdraw their objections, resulting in approval of the project without any assessment.”

EPA spokesperson Sajid Bashir says the project was submitted to the agency for conducting the EIA by the transport department and the stage of a public hearing had not arrived yet.

He says that the department will first hire a third party for conducting the EIA of the project, and it will have to advertise the project for the public hearing.

“We still have to complete the first step of the EIA,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2025