Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday digitally inaugurated the electric bus (e-bus) service for Layyah, Okara, Sialkot, Chiniot and Murree, reaffirming her government’s commitment to introducing 5,000 electric buses across the province over the next five years and establishing what she described as Pakistan’s largest public transport system.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the chief minister said the government aimed to make 1,100 electric buses operational across Punjab by the end of August. She announced that 1,100 buses would be inducted under the first phase of the project, while another 1,500 buses would be added during the current financial year.
She appreciated Transport Minister Bilal Akbar and Transport Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch for their efforts in implementing the project.
According to a briefing given by Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, 51 electric buses will operate on 10 routes in Layyah, Okara, Sialkot, Chiniot and Murree. Another 101 buses will be introduced by the end of July in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Multan, Vehari, Kasur, Lodhran, Nankana Sahib and Narowal.
The briefing stated that in Layyah, the buses will run from the General Bus Stand to Paharpur and Tehsil Hospital. In Chiniot, 10 buses will operate from Tehsil Chowk to Bhowana and Lalian. In Okara, the routes will run from Sahiwal Bypass to KFC Bypass and from the General Bus Stand to Shergarh via Akhtarabad. In Sialkot, the buses will operate from the General Bus Stand to Daska and Pasrur, while in Murree, they will run from the General Bus Stand to Kotli Sattian and 17-Mile.
The minister further informed the meeting that 500 electric buses were already operating across 24 districts of Punjab.
The chief minister directed deputy commissioners to monitor the construction and rehabilitation of e-bus terminals and instructed deputy and assistant commissioners to ensure prompt resolution of issues related to the service.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Punjab said the launch of the electric bus service in Layyah, Okara, Sialkot, Chiniot and Murree was a matter of satisfaction and gratitude. She congratulated the people and elected representatives of the five districts on the launch of the service.
“Alhamdulillah, we are establishing not only Punjab’s but Pakistan’s largest public transport system,” she said, adding that within two and a half years the electric bus project had gained widespread public acceptance.
She said residents of remote and underdeveloped districts were now benefiting from modern transport facilities, adding that electric buses were reaching every tehsil of Punjab without any distinction between rural and urban areas.
The chief minister described the Rs200 billion initiative as the province’s largest public mega project and expressed satisfaction that the people of the newly covered districts would also benefit from the service. She particularly welcomed the operation of electric buses in the hilly terrain of Murree.
CM Punjab said 1,100 buses would reach Punjab by Aug 15 and become operational by the end of August. With the addition of another 1,500 buses during the current fiscal year, nearly 3,000 electric buses would be operating across the province.
Expressing her long-term vision, she said she hoped at least 5,000 electric buses would be running in Punjab within five years.
Referring to a video circulating on social media, she said she was pleased to see an elderly man peacefully sleeping while travelling on an electric bus, adding that air-conditioned buses were a blessing during the summer season. She said students, women and senior citizens were travelling free of charge on the electric buses.
The chief minister also announced that electric bus services would become operational by the end of July in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Multan, Vehari, Kasur, Lodhran, Nankana Sahib and Narowal.
She said the number of passengers using the electric bus service had exceeded 300,000 and was increasing every week, adding that the electric bus network had become the largest public transport system in Pakistan.