Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, on Saturday, ordered that 240 electric buses be allocated to 24 districts of south Punjab on a priority basis.
Presiding over a special meeting to look at the progress of the electric bus project and other major transportation projects, the chief minister stated the culture of giving new projects solely to big cities needs to be revamped.
“Villages should be brought on par with big cities. All districts are equal to me,” Maryam Nawaz stated, further noting that development should be equitable, and facilities should be according to public demand.
In accordance with the briefing at the meeting, 240 electric buses will be distributed over 24 districts in the first phase.
Another 500 e-buses will be added in Lahore, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Rawalpindi between August and October, and another 600 will come to the province by the end of the year.
Among these, 400 electric buses will be operated under Punjab Clean Air Programme in Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, and Lahore. Maryam Nawaz directed that routes must be finalized according to commuters’ patterns and public convenience, and all public utility projects must be rolled out without any delay.
The meeting also considered the Gujranwala Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. It was informed that the system would extend about 22 kilometres from Rahwali to Aimanabad and would have 28 stations and 80 feeder buses to link peripheral areas with the main corridor. The feasibility of connecting the BRT route to Gakhar Mandi was also considered.
Buses on the Gujranwala BRT route will run every eight minutes, and four electric bus terminals will be created to serve the system, officials said. The Transport Department was instructed by the chief minister to create smart traffic management solutions for the BRT corridor.
Construction on Faisalabad‘s Orange Line and Red Line transportation systems was also discussed. The Red Line, measuring 23.4 kilometres and with 24 stations, is targeted to transport more than 185,000 passengers a day. The Orange Line will follow a 29-kilometre track with 21 stations and support about 111,000 daily passengers.
At the behest of Maryam Nawaz, the Red Line route has been lengthened to join Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) with Salami Chowk.
