he Mall, Lahore, is lined by electricity poles that have flashy banners heralding the arrival of a fleet of “27 electric buses.” Launched by the Punjab government, this initiative is expected to upgrade the public transport system in the city without further polluting the air.

In May, Transport Minister Bilal Akbar, speaking on the floor of the Provincial Assembly, had said the government had plans to introduce electric buses in Lahore by November or December. “27 electric buses will soon hit the roads of Lahore,” he had declared.

A spokesperson for the Punjab Transport Company reveals that the government has “finalised documentation of a pilot run of 27 electric buses on a specificied route in Lahore.” The chosen route extends from the City Railway Station to Bagrian Chowk in Green Town. The idea is to “assess the performance of electric buses in local conditions and investigate the possibility of introducing them on a larger scale throughout the province.”

“The route was selected after careful consideration,” he adds. “It passes through low-income areas and serves three major hospitals — Ganga Ram, Services and Jinnah. Additionally, the route will cover key educational institutions such as Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Government College for Women University, Kinnaird College and Punjab University.”

The PTC chief operating officer, Farrukh Abbas Khan, says the department plans to adopt environment-friendly policies besides facilitating the commuters. He also talks of the department having completed a study focusing on reducing air pollution.

As part of the plan, 15 routes in the city have been identified for electric buses. In the first phase, the buses will run on key routes.

The buses are expected to meet international travel standards, mitigate climate change impact and enhance the public transport experience. The bidding process for the project has been completed. The documents seen by this scribe reveal that the contract was awarded to a Chinese automobile manufacturer, Yutong Bus Company Ltd, which offered the lowest bid of $5.54 million.

As many as 15 routes have been identified in the city for the buses. The first phase will include launching electric buses on key routes. Plans are afoot to launch them in other cities of the Punjab too.

The project appears to have garnered limited attention. The final evaluation report indicates that only five prequalification proposals were received and only two of the manufacturers were pre-qualified.

In these times of climate change awareness, electric buses are gaining attention for their zero emissions and low maintenance requirement. Last year, a pilot run, managed by the Sapphire Group in collaboration with BYD China, the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles, yielded positive data. Its success encouraged the then government to try it on a larger scale. It also provided a starting point for a conversation around green transport.

Electric buses are apparently the way to go. Commuters have welcomed the Punjab government’s latest initiative, and they are all praise for the environment-friendly and user-friendly features of the new buses.

It may be mentioned here that Islamabad has already introduced electric buses. Karachi and Peshawar, too, have experimented with hybrid buses and are planning to make the transition to electric buses.

PTC officials say electric-powered vehicles will dominate the city roads by 2030. “E-buses are not only fuel-efficient, they also have lower maintenance costs. As such, they reduce the need for frequent inspections,” says the PTC spokesperson.

Electric vehicles, or EVs, are powered by batteries and do not have traditional engines. There are no toxic emissions and very little noise. Unlike diesel and petrol vehicles, the EVs have a smaller carbon footprint, although their high capital cost remains a challenge.

Malik Zaheer, who operated the earlier electric buses, says that the buses would be fully charged within two hours and would be ready to travel long distances — “up to 450 kilometres,” in his words.

As the city looks forward to the deployment of the electric buses, it is seen as a significant step in Lahore’s fight against rising air pollution levels and the consequent smog season.

Ahsan Malik is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship