EV charging station must be solarized

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated Punjab Transport Company headquarters and Electric Vehicle Command and Control Centre.

During a visit, the Chief Minister also saw an automatic washing facility for electric buses. She was told that the facility recycles water for recycling. The Chief Minister inspected the charging station where Yutong’s 160 kilowatt system can fully charge an electric bus within 105 minutes.

She visited the command and control center and sought a timeline for the introduction of 1,500 new buses.

She said the bus charging system should be shifted to solar energy at the earliest and directed officials to designate new routes for green electric buses. She also ordered improved arrangements in the face of rising ridership and additional buses at locations where commuters face long wait times.

She ordered that carbon credits be claimed under the Green Bus Project. She also praised the dedication shown by the electric bus teams in helping people with special means. She said the launch of green buses had set passenger records across Punjab. The chief minister said the government wanted to launch metro bus projects in Faisalabad and Gujranwala at the earliest.

She added that electric buses provide a comfortable travel facility to the public. She said that the Punjab government is giving top priority to the convenience and safety of citizens, especially women and children.

She said smart travel systems offer faster and easier commuting, while electric buses help reduce pollution and smog. “Providing clean, safe and modern public transport to the people of Punjab is our highest priority,” she said.

Punjab Transport Company CEO Kausar Khan stated that over 15.5 million passengers had traveled on electric buses across Punjab so far. More than 3.8 million women and over 1.5 million students have benefited from free travel, along with 750,000 senior citizens and 300,000 special persons.

Punjab Transport Company has launched an initiative under which special tuck shops have been established at e-bus stations to provide business opportunities to widows and divorced women. So far 10 women have been made available at new bus stops in Lahore.