LAHORE: Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz formally launched the first electric bus service in the provincial capital on Friday.
The Minister of Transportation, Bilal Akbar, informed the Prime Minister on the pilot project of the electric bus service. It was reported 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 simultaneously.
The bus will have ramps and seats reserved for passengers with different capabilities. For the first time, a leaf against sliding on the bus floor for passenger protection has been used.
Nine specific load stations have been established in Green Town Hamdard Chowk Depot for these buses.
Each bus will cover a distance of 250 km per load and can complete its route four times in a load.
Each bus will exhibit a route for travelers’ comfort. Closed circuit cameras will also be installed to avoid harassment incidents.
It was told to CM that 27 electric buses would be operating on the longest 21 km route in the city, from the train station to the green city through Queens Road, Mogang, Ferozepur Road and Pu Campus Bridge.
At least 17,000 people can travel in these buses daily.
A formal E-Bus service will begin in mid-February as 42 last generation bus shelters are built along its route and buses will arrive after every nine minutes.
The rate can be paid through digital wallets and digital cards. Universal transport cards will also be issued. A special application will also be introduced to enable bus monitoring.
The training of 70 drivers for these buses has begun.
The main minister directed the installation of solar fans and water coolers in the bus stops and ordered the installation of safe city cameras at each bus stop as well.
Later, presiding over a meeting on the E-Taxi scheme, he ordered the interested authorities to consider the perspectives of assembling e-taxi in Punjab along with the steps to establish electric charge stations in collaboration with the private sector.
Posted in Dawn, February 1, 2025
