Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated Faisalabad's first electric bus service on Monday.
The chief minister travelled on an electric bus from the University of Agriculture to Jinnah Bagh.
Briefing her at the venue of the inaugural ceremony, Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar said 150 electric buses would be operated to ensure a smooth transport service in the division, including 30 vehicles to be launched in the first phase within Faisalabad city.
The buses will initially operate from Yousuf Town to Saigol City for 22 kilometres and University Roundabout to Sidhupur for 18km, benefitting over 24,000 passengers daily.
The fare has been set at Rs20 per ride.
Charging stations have also been set up for the buses, the minister said.
Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced the upcoming launch of an 'ART Metro Bus Service' and an IT city in Faisalabad following completion of the Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore.
A water and sanitation system costing Rs40 billion would soon be inaugurated in Faisalabad and a co-ablation machine would be provided at Allied Hospital for the treatment of cancer.
"Trust me, Faisalabad will be developed into an even more advanced and beautiful city than Lahore," the chief minister asserted.
She announced that electric-bus services would also be launched in Jhang, Chiniot and Toba Tek Singh.
She said free travel would be offered to senior citizens, women, students, and special persons in public transport across Punjab. She added that citizens could now travel in air-conditioned electric buses for Rs20 instead of paying hundreds of rupees to ride run down buses. She said, "I don't burden general public with my projects as I shoulder their burden myself."
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