Punjab bans purchase of petrol, diesel vehicles for govt depts

Under new policy, all govt departments across the province will procure only electric or hybrid vehicles in future

The Punjab government has decided to impose a complete ban on the procurement of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles for government departments, as part of a broader push to promote environmentally friendly transport across the province.

Under the new decision, all provincial departments will be allowed to procure only electric or hybrid vehicles in the future. However, ban will not be implemented on vehicles assigned to field duties.

According to the provincial chief secretary, promoting green energy remains a top priority for the provincial administration. He said a new electric vehicle policy would be introduced soon to support the transition towards cleaner and environmentally friendly transport.

As part of the same initiative, the approval of no-objection certificates (NOCs) for new petrol pumps has been made conditional on the installation of electric vehicle charging units. Any new petrol pump will be required to install an EV charging facility before going operational.

The chief secretary mentioned that electric charging units have been made mandatory for 170 new petrol pumps that have already received NOCs. These approvals were issued through the e-Biz portal for petrol pumps in 31 cities across the province.

He said 29 new petrol pumps in Faisalabad, 14 in Lahore and 10 in Bahawalpur have been required to install EV charging facilities. Similarly, nine petrol pumps each in Khanewal and Bahawalnagar must comply with the condition. Moreover, eight petrol pumps each in Rawalpindi and Jhang, and seven each in Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Kasur and Chiniot have also been approved subject to the installation of electric charging units.