RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has planned to launch 80 electric buses on different routes of the garrison city by mid-October.

Talking to Dawn, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said that in the first phase, 80 electric buses would arrive in Rawalpindi in October and begin service from the second week of the month.

“Rawalpindi city will get 80 eco-friendly buses for 10 new routes. The total length of these routes is 86 kilometres, connecting Rawalpindi with the airport, railway station, metro bus stations, general bus stand, Islamabad, and other parts of the garrison city,” Mr Cheema said.

He added that the electric bus system would be integrated with Islamabad’s transport network, allowing seamless travel between the twin cities.

Punjab government to launch eco-friendly transport system across 10 routes

The provincial government’s main objective, he said, was to reduce pollution in Rawalpindi and cantonment areas while providing a modern transport system linked to the Metro Bus service.

Work has already started on a bus depot to accommodate up to 100 electric buses.

“To park the buses, we decided to construct the depot on 28 kanals of land on Peshawar Road,” he said. The land, already owned by the Transport and Masstransit Department, posed no acquisition challenges.

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has allocated 10 new routes for the service.

Route One will run from the Railway Station to the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, while Route Two will cover Koral Chowk to Fawara Chowk.

Route Three will operate from Umar Baig Chowk to Mandi Mor, and Route Four from Munawar Colony to Saddar. Route Five will connect Marrir Chowk to Motorway Mor, while Route Six will run from Faizabad to Tramri Chowk.

Route Seven will operate from IJP Metro Station to Kuri Road, and Route Eight from Saddar to Lalarukh Colony. Route Nine will link Umair Baig Road to Qadeemi Imambargah Mohallah, while Route Ten will run through Saddar.

Mr Cheema said Rawalpindi, one of Pakistan’s major cities, has historically been an important commercial and administrative centre, but its transport infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with rapid urbanisation and population growth.

He noted that the Punjab Metro Bus System provided some relief through a dedicated rapid transit service, but it has not fully addressed transport challenges, as it mainly covers specific corridors while leaving many neighborhoods underserved.

“Many areas still lack adequate public transport, forcing residents to rely on private vehicles and informal services, which worsen congestion and pollution,” he said.

To address these transportation and environmental challenges, the Punjab government has included two schemes in the Annual Development Programme 2025–26, he said. They include the induction of e-buses and the development of urban bus depots with allied infrastructure.

He said the scheme for the induction of e-buses was already approved by the PDWP on October 25, 2024, and work on establishing the bus depot along with allied infrastructure is currently underway.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025