Staff Reporter
Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht on Friday said that the Punjab government has released Rs3.4 billion for the purchase of 200 eco-friendly electric busses to reduce air pollution and control smoke.
Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht was presiding over a meeting held to review provision of better transport facilities in Punjab.
The minister observed that eco-friendly buses will be run in major industrial and commercial cities of Punjab to control air pollution
He said that the buses have been selected which will not only be smoke-free but will also be reasonable in operational cost while other eco-friendly technologies will be used later to reduce air pollution.
Provincial Minister for Transport Jahanzeb Kachchi, Advisor to Chief Minister on Economic Affairs Dr Salman Shah, Secretary Finance Iftikhar Ali Saho, Secretary Planning and Development Imran Sikandar, Secretary Transport, Managing Director Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Chief Executive Officer Lahore Transport company, Chief Executive Officer Urban Development Unit and other relevant officers attended the meeting.
The Transport Secretary informed the participants that electric buses have been used for public transport in all developed countries including China, Europe and the United States since 2015.
The major manufacturers of these buses include companies from France, Germany, China and the United States.
He further said that under the Electric Vehicle Policy, a target of 1,000 buses was set in Pakistan for the next five years. We have to complete 50% of our target by 2030.
The meeting also discussed three business models for the electric bus system by the Transport Department.
On the other occasion, Punjab Minister for Transport Jahanzeb Kachchi called on the private sector to invest in environmentally friendly transport.
He highlighted the opportunities for the private sector in the transport sector.
Dr. Salman Shah emphasized the need for a regulatory system from the public sector to improve the transport system.
The finance minister directed the Secretary Transport to formulate transport models for Faisalabad and Bahawalpur after Lahore.
Create opportunities for companies that are aware of the use and usefulness of modern technology in view of the future expansion of the scope of electric transport.
He further said that electric technology was being used in the procurement of buses to promote pollution-free green environment. Green financing can also be used with the subsidized model of transport.
