EV buses to cut 43pc pollution

Islamabad : Taking advantage of robust China-Pakistan collaboration on electric vehicle (EV) ventures, Pakistan has launched a decarbonisation plan in public transport sector, as 43 per cent carbon emission emitting from petrol-run transport vehicles on roads.

As part of the plan, Punjab government is gearing up to introduce 500 Chinese buses in the first phase in the province, house of more than 100 million people that are desperately in want of environment-friendly public transport.

According to sources in Punjab Secretariat, in order to make it possible for running Chinese electric buses in Lahore, government has greenlighted Punjab Transport Company (PTC) and Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) to proceed with administrative, technical and financial procedures and viabilities, Gwadar Pro reported it on Saturday

Lahore, capital of Punjab, is one of the worst polluted cities in the world. The Chinese Electric Buses plying on roads will help mitigate environmental hazards especially smog that often keeps engulfing the entire city, said by Environmentalist Ayub Minhas.

On the back of 2022 budget’s major allocations on Electric Vehicle, will switch over to 30 per cent electric vehicles by 2030 under the National Electric Vehicles Policy that will reduce the import bill by $2 billion every year, cut pollution, fulfil “Clean Green Pakistan” and realize commitments on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on environment. Talking to Gwadar Pro, Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) General Manager Syed Uzair Shah said that thorough deliberations to examine financial viability of electric buses is in full swing. After Punjab Transport Authority succeeds to launch them, PMTA will step forward accordingly, he added.

On a query regarding the fleet of 500 buses, he said that in this regard plan is on go as it has been decided already in principle by Punjab government.

In collaboration with BYD China, the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles, Pakistan has already piloted the EV buses initiative in Lahore. Previously, the same bus did experimental trips in Islamabad. An electric bus with zero smoke emission has begun running on Lahore roads as a test project. Every day, the bus makes two trips from the Punjab Transport Company’s (PTC) main station to Valencia Town.

Last month, Pakistan’s first electric buses hit roads in Karachi, again credit goes to China-manufactured electric buses. The Sindh government conducted a test trial of electric buses.

The policy aims for an almost complete replacement of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs) with Electric Vehicles (EVs) in new car sales by 2040.