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LAHORE, Feb 02 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday inaugurated the Punjab Transport Company (PTC) headquarters and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Command and Control Centre, aimed at providing clean, safe, and modern public transport to the people.
During the visit, the chief minister inspected a state-of-the-art automatic washing plant for electric buses, where buses were washed and dried through a fully automated process. She was informed that the facility recycled water for reuse. She also reviewed the latest electric bus charging station, where Yutong’s 160-kilowatt charging system was capable of fully charging an electric bus within 105 minutes.
The chief minister visited the EV Command and Control Centre and sought a clear timeline for the induction of 1,500 new buses. She directed that the electric bus charging system be shifted to solar energy at the earliest and instructed officials to identify new routes for the operation of green electric buses. She also ordered improved arrangements in view of rising passenger numbers and directed that additional buses be deployed on routes where commuters faced long waiting times.
She further directed that carbon credits under the Green Bus Project be claimed. Appreciating the performance of the staff, the chief minister said that the dedication displayed by electric bus crews, particularly in assisting special persons, was commendable. She noted that the launch of green buses had broken ridership records across Punjab.
CM Maryam Nawaz said that the government aimed to launch metro bus service projects in Faisalabad and Gujranwala at the earliest. She said that electric buses were providing a comfortable travel facility to the public, adding that the Punjab government was giving top priority to the convenience and safety of citizens, especially women and children.
She said that smart travel systems were offering faster and easier commuting, while electric buses were playing a key role in reducing air pollution and smog. “Providing clean, safe and modern public transport to the people of Punjab is our foremost priority,” she added.
Earlier, PTC Chief Executive Officer Kausar Khan gave a detailed briefing, saying that over 15.5 million passengers had travelled on electric buses across Punjab so far. He said that more than 3.8 million women and over 1.5 million students had benefited from free travel, while around 750,000 senior citizens and 300,000 special persons had also availed free transport facilities.
The briefing further revealed that the Punjab Transport Company had launched the “Empower Her” initiative to promote women’s economic independence. Under the programme, special tuck shops had been established at e-bus stations for widowed and divorced women, providing them with safe, dignified, and self-reliant business opportunities. It was shared that public transport stations were being transformed into community-friendly spaces, and so far, 10 women had been provided tuck shops at newly established bus stops in Lahore.
The briefing added that each electric bus was being digitally monitored through six cameras, while drivers were monitored using artificial intelligence. More than 80,000 T-Cash cards had been issued across Punjab, enabling cashless and paperless travel. Through the Command and Control Centre, timely bus operations were being ensured, and real-time data was being utilised to further improve the public transport system.