5 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
CM orders more e-buses for southern Punjab
LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered the provision of more electric buses to the districts in South Punjab and further directed that remote areas should be given priority in the provision of electric buses.
The Chief Minister chaired a special meeting during which the Transport Department briefed on its projects and the progress being made on the electric bus project.
The CM emphasised, 'The culture of always giving every new facility to big cities must be changed. We will bring rural areas at par with the major urban cities.'
She directed that 240 electric buses should be given on a priority basis to 24 districts. In the first phase, 240 e-buses will be provided to relatively underdeveloped districts. Between August and October, 500 e-buses will be provided for Lahore, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Rawalpindi. From November to December, 600 additional electric buses will arrive in Punjab.
The CM highlighted, 'Under the Punjab Clean Air Program, 400 electric buses will be provided to Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, and Lahore.
A detailed review was conducted of the Gujranwala BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) project. In order to connect the entire city and suburban areas, 80 feeder buses will be launched. On the 22-kilometer-long BRT system from Rahwali to Eminabad, 28 stations will be established.
The proposal to extend the Gujranwala BRT route was also reviewed. The Gujranwala BRT system will provide two-way transportation after every 8 minutes.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed that traffic along the Gujranwala BRT route should be managed through a smart traffic control solution. For this project, 4 electric bus depots will be established in Gujranwala.
In the meeting, progress was also reviewed on Orange Line and Red Line transport systems in Faisalabad. The Red Line will be 23.4 kilometres long, with 24 stations, and is expected to transport more than 185,000 passengers. The Orange Line will be 29 kilometres long, with 21 stations, and is expected to transport over 111,000 passengers.
On the Chief Minister's direction, the route from FIEDMC to Salami Chowk has also been included in the project.
The Chief Minister directed the Transport Department to immediately start all public welfare projects, and further directed that e-bus routes should be determined based on public commuting needs. She outlined,' We want to provide buses based on actual public needs. Our thinking should be focused solely for the welfare of people. All districts are equal to me. In the journey of progress, everyone must have equal opportunities and access to facilities.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
