LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday announced plans to expand environmentally-friendly electric public transport, e-bikes, e-taxis and electric three-wheelers across Punjab.

She was presiding over a meeting of the Transport Department and the Punjab Masstransit Authority regarding electric buses, the Gujranwala and Faisalabad mass transit projects, e-taxis, the Lahore Super Autonomous Rapid Transit (SRT) project, e-bikes, the command and control centre, and the Murree Glass Train initiative.

The meeting decided to introduce additional electric buses, e-taxis, e-bikes and electric three-wheelers simultaneously to promote green transport across the province.

The meeting was told that Punjab had also achieved another milestone by establishing an electric bus manufacturing industry under the government’s business-friendly policies.

The CM said Punjab would deploy 5,000 electric buses over the next five years, adding that the province was no longer only operating buses but had also started manufacturing them.

The meeting also approved re-launch of the interest-free e-bike scheme for students under relaxed installment plans. Under the programme, 100,000 electric bikes will be provided to students within one year.

“The Punjab government will provide a subsidy of Rs70,000 per e-bike. Male students will pay a down payment of Rs14,000 and an interest-free monthly installment of Rs2,100.”

The CM said the government would bear the entire down payment and registration fee for female students, who would only have to pay an interest-free monthly instalment of Rs2,100. Government employees would also be eligible to obtain e-bikes on easy instalments.

The meeting was informed that 1,500 electric buses would be operated in 91 tehsils across the Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad and Sargodha divisions during the first phase. The meeting approved the PC-I for procurement of the buses.

Officials said work on the Gujranwala and Faisalabad mass transit systems was progressing rapidly. Around 400 electric buses are already operational in various districts, while another 400 buses will soon be converted to electric operation.

The CM directed the immediate launch of 61 electric buses in 28 districts ahead of their scheduled inauguration on July 10.

She also ordered the operationalisation of buses in Jhang, Kabirwala, Bhakkar, Attock, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Chiniot, Layyah, Okara and Sialkot.

She also indicated that another 189 newly-acquired electric buses, prepared for soft launching in different districts, would be inaugurated online.

The meeting was informed that 112 additional electric buses had reached Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Multan, Murree, Vehari, Kasur, Lodhran, Nankana Sahib and Narowal and would begin operations from July 25.

Officials informed the meeting that 488 more electric buses would depart from a Chinese port for Punjab on July 20.

She directed the authorities to immediately introduce electric bus services in Kot Addu, Talagang and Taunsa Sharif, besides extending services to Vehari and Lodhran. She also ordered an increase in the number of electric buses in Vehari, Lodhran and Nankana Sahib.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2026