Electric bikes project misses the light of day

Government proposes to supply fuel powered motorbikes at easy instalments in place of eco-friendly alternatives

LAHORE:

During the past few years, electric vehicles have gradually started replacing combustion driven modes of transportation with the aim of curtailing environmental pollution and controlling the perilous effects of climate change on human health and global biodiversity yet any initiatives taken towards promoting eco-friendly transportation in Pakistan rarely get to see the light of day.

Even as the Punjab government maintains its stance of prioritizing efforts for reducing environmental pollution, the recently announced project of distributing interest-free eco-friendly electric motorcycles among locals, has been scrapped during the proceedings of a meeting chaired by Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, who claimed that although electric bikes were an environment friendly alternative, battery theft and low mileage, will make them an unfeasible option given the current circumstances therefore, fuel-powered motorcycles will be provided instead.

The decision however, has disgruntled environmental enthusiasts in the city, who were looking forward towards introducing an eco-friendly mode of transportation into their daily detours.

Noreen Fatima, a student at a government university, was hopeful that under the government's new eco-friendly policy announced in February, she too would be able to buy an electric bike. “I am very disappointed at that the government’s decision to end the electric bike project and distribute fuel powered motorcycles,” regretted Fatima.

On a separate note, medical experts like Dr Ayesha Amir from the Services Institute of Medical Sciences, express their disapproval of the government’s decision to supply more fuel-powered motorbikes, which have already jeopardized the health of locals and quality of air in Lahore. “Sulfur in diesel is the major cause behind the rampant incidence of diseases like cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases in Pakistan. Due to the excess amount of sulfur in diesel, other toxic components including carbon monoxide are also emitted from combustion vehicles, which cause further health issues,” warned Dr Amir.

Environmentalists like Rafay Alam, a lawyer was of the opinion that the best solution for combatting air pollution was to invest in electric public transport options for all citizens in the city. “For a big city like Lahore, concrete steps are required to improve air quality. All talk and no work will yield zero results,” affirmed Alam.

Highlighting the government’s side of the story, Hidayatur Rehman, Marketing Manager for an electric motorcycle assembling company in Lahore said, ”The biggest issue regarding the availability of electric vehicles is their batteries. People like to ride fast and high mileage bikes. Lithium batteries, which are required to increase the mileage of the bike, are quite expensive.

Similarly, charging a lithium battery is also a problem. A battery takes four to five hours to fully charge and consumes three units of electricity. An electric motorcycle can travel 60 to 70 km on a single charge. Unless the government adopts a solid strategy regarding batteries and charging points, the success of electric motorcycles and vehicles is not possible.”