fleet of 27 electric buses was recently introduced in the metropolis by the provincial government. The buses, named Electro, are equipped with a GPS location recorder, Wi-Fi, USB ports and other facilities. The idea is to bring Lahore at par with the major cities of the world in terms of a state-of-the-art public transport system.

The service, inaugurated by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, will operate from City Railway Station to Green Town. On a test ride, the CM boarded the bus from the University of the Punjab. She also inspected the dedicated bus stop for Electro buses, and ordered the installation of water coolers, fans and a mini canteen for commuters’ convenience.

As the pilot project consists of just 27 buses, the question arises whether a small number of vehicles can suffice for a city with a population of round 15 million. It would be interesting to see how the Punjab government follows up on the project which is said to have cost a fortune. Critics of the project have already started asking why the government didn’t take the private sector on board to share the financial as well as administrative burden.

The News on Sunday spoke with the minister for transport, Bilal Akbar. He credited the CM for pushing the project and for trying to revolutionise the public transport system of the province. He agreed that the current number of Electro buses wasn’t adequate. “We plan to increase [the number] to 400 in the first stage, eventually taking it up to 1200.”

The minister also talked of plans to increase the Metro lines in the city to four, including Purple and Blue lines. An underground line is also part of the plan. But that’s a long-term project, he added.

Akbar went on to say that the Punjab government planned to expand the project to other districts of the province, including Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura. As many as 3,000 buses are going to be brought in.

“The success of a transport system in the city can only be ensured if the roads are widened and the building bylaws are strictly enforced.”

The Electro buses have a seating capacity of 30 each, while up to 80 passengers can travel in one at a time. The buses have special ramps and seats for the differently-abled.

Each bus is said to cover a distance of 250 km per charge so that it may traverse its route four times in one charge. Nine charging stations have been set up at Hamdard Chowk, Green Town, for the buses. 17,000 people will be able to commute on these buses daily.

According to Bilal Akbar, the government is trying to convert the 120,000 three-wheelers and 300,000 two-wheelers into e-vehicles.

The minister rejected the notion that Lahore does not have enough road width to manage a public transport system. “The real issue is mismanagement,” he commented. “Stricter enforcement of traffic rules and coordination among the concerned departments is what’s needed. That’s why the government set up the Punjab Road Safety Authority.”

In response to a query, he stated that the Punjab government was capable of undertaking the initiative without the help of the private sector.

However, DIG Athar Waheed, the chief traffic officer, has a different take on the issue. Waheed says such a big-budget project could only succeed if the private sector was engaged. He was of the view that the government should set the standards and let the private sector play its part in accordance with those standards.

The CTO stressed on the need to ban the Qingqi rickshaws and loaders: “There should be at least some parts of the city where these are disallowed.”

He mentioned submitting “a 20-point traffic plan, which includes management of parking lots under public-private partnership. I hope the government will consider it.”

He also said, “The success of a mega transport system can only be ensured if the roads are wide and the building bylaws are strictly enforced. Commercial plazas shouldn’t be allowed without underground parking lots of their own.”

Ahsan Zia is a print and broadcast journalist