Punjab CM Maryam inaugurates electric bus service in Lahore

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has inaugurated the province’s first Electric Vehicle (EV) bus service in Lahore as a pilot project.

Maryam Nawaz was briefed by Provincial Transport Minister Bilal Akbar as she rode in the electric bus to make a detailed inspection, CM Punjab spokesperson said in a statement.

The electric buses, which arrived from China, have a capacity of 80 passengers with 30 seats and also have a ramp and seats reserved for special people.

The electric bus has a GPS location recorder, Wi-Fi, UPS port, and anti-slip sheet on the floor among other facilities. The bus will hold separate sections for males and females along with the installation of cameras to prevent incidents of harassment.

The government has set up nine charging stations for electric buses, which will be able to cover 250 kilometers on one charge.

As per details, during the first phase, 27 electric buses will be operated on the 21-kilometer route, which will run between the Railway Station and Green Town covering Queens Road, Mazang, Ferozepur Road, Campus Bridge, Ichhra, and Canal Road.

The route, which will be fully operational, in mid-February will facilitate 17,000 passengers daily.

In addition to that, the spokesperson to the Chief Minister said that 42 state-of-the-art bus shelters will be established along the route, where a bus will arrive every 9 minutes.

The government has also decided to introduce a special app to track the electric buses and passengers will have the option to pay from digital wallets or cards. For more convenience, Universal transport cards will also be issued.

Furthermore, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz instructed concerned authorities to review the installation of solar fans and water coolers at bus stands along with the Safe City cameras.