Electric buses to serve 17,000 commuters daily
LAHORE:
Punjab government has launched a pilot project featuring 27 electric buses in Lahore.
The initiative aimed at reducing pollution and operational costs has been introduced with an initial investment of Rs2.4 billion.
A test run of the eco-friendly buses is under way on a 21km route from Green Town to the Lahore Railway Station. Regular public service of the buses is set to commence on February 16, benefiting approximately 17,000 commuters daily.
Each electric bus, imported from China at a cost of Rs88 million, is designed for a 12-year operational lifespan. These vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including GPS, Wi-Fi, USB charging ports and designated seating with ramps for commuters with special needs. A separate compartment for women has been designated, and onboard surveillance cameras installed to enhance security and prevent harassment.
Commuters will have the convenience of using digital wallets and smart cards for fare payments, while a mobile app will allow real-time tracking of the buses.
Following the successful implementation of the pilot project, the government plans to expand the initiative to other cities across the province. The long-term plan envisions the deployment of 620 electric buses in major urban centers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Finance minister touts recovery, reforms in Economic Survey 2024–25
Pakistan's economy is on the mend following key structural reforms, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said Monday while presenting the Economic Survey for FY2024–25. 'We were not moving in the right direction,' Aurangzeb admitted, but said the government had since implemented reforms to consolidate the economy—particularly in taxation, debt control, and energy. He noted significant improvements in the power sector, with better governance in distribution companies after the inclusion of private sector professionals on their boards. 'Recoveries have been remarkable,' he said, while acknowledging the need to tackle system leakages. Public finances also benefited from a sharp cut in the policy rate, which helped reduce debt servicing costs by around Rs800 billion. 'Debt servicing remains the single largest expense item, but we've saved nearly a trillion rupees,' he added. The minister announced plans to privatise 24 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the coming year, after curbing annual losses of Rs800 billion. 'We've stopped the bleeding,' he said. Highlighting macroeconomic indicators, Aurangzeb said the current account recorded a surplus of $1.9 billion during July–April FY25, driven by strong IT exports. Remittances are projected to reach $37–38 billion by year-end, up from $27 billion two years ago. He also placed Pakistan's recovery within the broader global context, noting that world GDP growth has reached 2.8%. 'We need to first stop the bleeding and then address legacy issues,' Aurangzeb further said. 'The government is no longer a desperate borrower,' Aurangzeb said, crediting a significant reduction in the policy rate for saving nearly Rs1 trillion in debt servicing costs, including Rs800 billion in the current fiscal year. The number of individual tax filers has doubled as Pakistan expanded and deepened its tax base, the minister said. During FY25, the government also retired Rs2.4 trillion in treasury bills and raised Rs610 billion through a newly introduced two-year zero-coupon bond, extending the average maturity of domestic debt from 2.9 to 3.5 years. The government now projects FY26 as a 'turnaround year,' with plans to privatise 24 loss-making state-owned enterprises. Aurangzeb said banks will also be expected to step up lending to the private sector. The economy posted mixed results across sectors. Agriculture grew 2.6% despite falling production of key crops including cotton, wheat and maize. Rice exports, however, improved significantly. Construction posted a 6.6% growth rate, while services expanded by 2.9%. Large-scale manufacturing (LSM) remained in contraction but showed signs of stabilisation. In March 2025, LSM grew 1.8% year-on-year, compared with 1.7% in the same month last year. However, a month-on-month decline of 4.6% was recorded, slightly better than February's 5.6% fall. Electricity generation capacity reached 46,605 MW, with 55.7% from thermal sources and 24.4% from hydropower. Consumption stood at 80,111 GWh, with nearly half used by households. Petroleum product demand rose 7% in the July–March period, with transport accounting for 80% of use. Aurangzeb said governance in the power sector has improved, with private sector experts brought onto boards of power distribution companies. Recoveries were described as 'remarkable,' though energy sector leakages remain a challenge. The external sector saw improvement, with a $1.9 billion current account surplus in July–April FY25, driven by IT exports. Remittances are projected to hit $37–38 billion this fiscal year, up from $27 billion two years ago. Imports rose 12%. On the climate front, Pakistan launched its Recharge Pakistan Project with $77 million in funding and introduced its first Carbon Market Policy at COP29. "The next fiscal year will be a turnaround story,' Aurangzeb said, setting the tone for a budget expected to aim for IMF compliance, increased revenue, and growth-focused reforms. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves rose to $16.64 billion Aurangzeb said addinf that it, boosted by improved economic indicators and renewed investor confidence, even as the agriculture sector posted weak growth due to poor crop yields. Of the total reserves, the State Bank of Pakistan held $11.5 billion while commercial banks retained $5.14 billion. The increase follows improved credit ratings, with Fitch upgrading Pakistan's sovereign rating from CCC+ to B- with a stable outlook. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) acknowledged Pakistan's progress under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and approved an additional $1.4 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) to support the country's climate adaptation and disaster resilience efforts. Pakistan's stock market also performed strongly, with the benchmark index delivering a 50% return and gaining 78,000 points over the fiscal year, reflecting growing investor confidence. Agriculture, however, remained under pressure. The sector recorded a modest 0.56% growth in FY25 due to a decline in major crop production. Officials acknowledged challenges including inadequate crop storage and limited farmer financing. Reforms are being explored to reduce middlemen's role and improve farm-to-market access. Meanwhile, more than 5,000 federal cost centres have been tagged under the government's new Climate Budget Tagging initiative aimed at tracking climate-related spending. In the social sector, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) disbursed Rs593 billion during the fiscal year to support vulnerable households.
Business Recorder
24-05-2025
- Business Recorder
NAB recovers, disburses over Rs88bn during 1st quarter of 2025
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered and disbursed over Rs88 billion during the first quarter of 2025 (January–March), it said in a press release on Saturday. The recoveries included direct recoveries worth Rs2.085 billion and indirect recoveries amounting to Rs86 billion, involving public and private lands associated with cases of illegal transfer and occupation. 'The disbursed amounts were returned to the relevant affected entities,' the statement read. Regarding indirect recoveries, NAB (Balochistan) retrieved state land measuring 340 acres of Chiltan Park and 250 acres of Forest department which translate into Rs6.45 billion, NAB (KPK) secured Rs0.56 billion in case titled inquiry against officers/officials of University of Swabi, Revenue and Forest departments, NAB (Lahore) recovered Rs70.87 billion in three mega cases including Employees Cooperative Housing Society, State Life Insurance Employees Cooperative Housing Society and Sarwar Omega Villas, NAB (Multan) recovered Rs0.013 billion in GFS 7 wonders housing Scheme while NAB(Sukkur) recovered 610 acres of NHA land worth of Rs8.53 billion. Housing scam victims: NAB Lahore disburses Rs1.34bn Regarding disbursement of direct recoveries, NAB transferred Rs9.72 million directly to the federal government, Rs10.80 million to provincial governments and Rs73.51 million to different department/financial institutions, etc. Further, a significant portion amounting to Rs19.90 billion has been directly distributed to 19,105 victims of various scams, according to NAB statement. This includes Rs72.04 million to 4,778 affectees of National House Building and Road Development Corporation by NAB (Rawalpindi), Rs1.168.26 billion to 11,855 affectees of Eden Housing Case by NAB (Lahore), Rs405.08 million to 989 affectees of SHG & Others case by NAB(Lahore), Rs111.08 million to 496 affectees of Arain City case by NAB (Rawalpindi), Rs109.15 million to 452 affectees of Toyota Motors Gujranwala case by NAB (Lahore), Rs23.56 million to 246 affectees of Gulshan-e- Rehman case by NAB (Rawalpindi) Rs12.07 million to 99 affectees of THG case by NAB (Lahore), Rs47.31 million to 60 affectees of Gilani Housing Corporation by NAB (Rawalpindi), Rs. 3.631 million to 78 affectees of Ahmed City Housing Scheme by NAB (Lahore) and Rs38.59 million to 52 affectees of other various scams. 'The recoveries made in the first quarter of 2025 has taken the NAB's overall recovery amount since its inception to Rs6.236 trillion, of which 62.92% (Rs3.92 trillion) were recovered in last 18 months. 'These recoveries were made from individuals and entities through plea bargains, voluntary returns and settlements,' the statement read.
Business Recorder
08-05-2025
- Business Recorder
A market in name only
EDITORIAL: The Power Division's latest invitation for stakeholder comments on the long-touted Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM) would be laughable, were the state of Pakistan's power sector not so dire. For years, the same reforms have been announced, reannounced, and endlessly recycled through public consultations and draft directives. Now, yet again, the country is being told that competitive electricity trading is just around the corner — with a token 800MW to kick-start liberalisation. The irony is staggering. In a sector drowning in circular debt, inefficiencies, and wilful defaulters, this obsession with process over outcome has become a cruel joke. The National Electricity Plan (NEP) 2023–27 was never going to be a silver bullet. But when some of its key directives, like #87, are being reworded not to enable reform, but to better structure cost recovery for legacy failures, the intent becomes transparent: this isn't liberalisation; it's rearranging the furniture while the house burns. The Power Division's proposed amendment now seeks comments on how to allocate stranded costs — the inevitable fallout of prior bad planning — onto new market participants. This, at a time when the International Monetary Fund is pressing for efficiency in distribution companies, not further bureaucratic entanglements. Why is this model, already discussed to death, being thrown back into public consultation? What more is there to extract from stakeholders who, in many cases, are the very reason the sector is where it is today? The answer lies in a systemic addiction to appearances. These consultations serve primarily to project the illusion of progress, of inclusion, of reform through consensus. But consensus with whom? Several of these 'stakeholders' are themselves serial defaulters, culprits behind the power sector's financial rot, and habitual opponents of reform whenever it threatens their rent-seeking arrangements. The circular debt continues to spiral, now breaching Rs2.4 trillion, while technical losses remain high and recovery ratios pitiful. Despite all the planning documents, task forces, and workshops, the fundamentals refuse to improve. This should prompt a reckoning with the assumptions underpinning the CTBCM itself. Instead, we get redrafted directives and a fresh round of comments — this time with a five-year window for liberalisation and complex caveats for cost recovery, hedging, and hybrid sourcing. Meanwhile, the market stays inert, confidence erodes, and industrial consumers remain hostage to poor governance and predatory pricing. The Power Division's new language emphasises 'balancing financial viability, affordability, and competition.' These are admirable goals, but impossible to achieve in a sector where the price of electricity includes embedded costs for idle capacity contracted under take-or-pay agreements, pilferage, bloated payrolls, and cross-subsidies. Penalising new entrants into the market by saddling them with stranded costs is not liberalization — it's a deterrent. It creates disincentives for investment, distorts price signals, and entrenches the worst aspects of the current system under the guise of reform. The concerns raised by the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) are therefore not incidental. They strike at the core contradiction of the CTBCM process: a competitive market cannot function when its rules are retrofitted to protect incumbents. Making new entrants shoulder the costs of past mismanagement — particularly when they had no hand in creating it — undermines the very purpose of transitioning to open access. It's little surprise that the private sector remains wary of participation, and even less surprising that reform fatigue has set in. What's even more worrying is the Power Division's willingness to caveat reforms with broad exemptions, conditionalities, and budget-dependent subsidies that render the new model barely distinguishable from the old. If open access is contingent on fiscal space, third-party consultants, and future frameworks yet to be written, then it is neither open nor accessible. It's policy theatre. Pakistan's power sector does not need more discussions. It needs decisions — backed by enforcement. It needs accountability for the billions in capacity payments, theft, and non-recovery. And it needs a clear break from the model of state-managed dysfunction dressed up as market reform. Until that happens, the CTBCM — however well-packaged — will remain a market in name only. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
