Staff Report
Taking advantage of robust China-Pakistan collaboration on electric vehicle (EV) ventures, Pakistan has launched a decarbonization plan in Public Transport Sector, as 43 percent 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.
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, Pakistan 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.
