cores of residents of the federal capital have been commuting on electric buses for a few days now.

A fleet of 30 air-conditioned electric buses has been operating on two routes – NUST (National University of Science and Technology) to PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) and from PIMS to Bari Imam. To travel, commuters need to pay a flat fare of Rs 50.

Muhammad Rizwan, a student at the National University of Science and Technology is very happy with the recent development. “The bus service is saving us fuel. Also, this move towards clean energy is good for the environment,” he says.

Rizwan says that the government should spend more on such initiatives because they not only benefit the public but are also good for the city. “We sorely need a proper public transport infrastructure. These [electric] buses are a step towards zero emissions and a cleaner, greener city,” he says.

According to a CDA official, the aim behind the launch of these electric buses was “…to facilitate commuters by connecting all areas and sectors of the city with each other.”

The electric buses system is owned by the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Defence in partnership with the Capital Development Authority. The cost of one e-bus ranges from Rs 306 to Rs 331 per kilometre.

During his previous tenure, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed the CDA to expand its fleet of public transport buses. The then CDA chairman Noor-ul Amin Mengal had engaged the NRTC to procure e-buses from an international firm with manufacturing in China. The first fleet reached Islamabad a month ago.

A fleet of around 70 buses is also expected to reach and be operational on nearly a dozen major routes in coming days. The total number of electric buses is expected to reach 160.

Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi played a key role in making the first batch operational. He also inaugurated the bus service at Convention Centre and appreciated the standards of the buses aiming for further improvement in the public transport system in the capital city.

The 13 scheduled new routes where these e-buses would run include Police Foundation/ Orange Line Station to Red Line Faiz Ahmed Faiz Station in I-8; Allama Iqbal Station to Red Line Potohar Station; PIMS to Secretariat; D-12 to G-10; F-11 to Red Line F-8 Station; G-11 to PIMS; Aabpara to Tramri Chowk; Nilor to Khanna Pul; Pirwadhai Chowk to Faizabad; B-17 to 26 Number Chungi and I-16 to 26 Number.

The writer is a staff member. He tweets at @waqargillani