Islamabad’s electric buses extended to Rawat, aiming to double daily ridership

Interior minister says target has been set to increase number of passengers to 250,000 per day

The electric bus service in Islamabad has been extended to the Rawat area with special consideration being paid to routes for students, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday. He made the announcement while inaugurating a dedicated bus depot and charging centre in Islamabad, according to Radio Pakistan.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the minister said around 125,000 citizens of Islamabad are currently benefiting from the electric bus service on a daily basis. He added that a target has been set to increase the number of passengers to 250,000 per day.

As per an official statement from the ministry, the depot has the capacity to install 64 chargers, of which 50 have already been installed, while the remaining 14 will be set up soon. Each charger is capable of charging two buses within two hours.

It added that electric buses are currently operating on 21 routes across Islamabad and the system has also been integrated with Google to facilitate commuters.

Following the inauguration, the minister also travelled in an electric bus along with officials accompanying him. He was given a detailed briefing regarding the depot facilities and the charging infrastructure.

Naqvi emphasised that special consideration has been given to routes for male and female students. He stated that the electric bus service, alongside the metro system, is helping ease traffic congestion in the twin cities.

He further informed that the Rawalpindi-Islamabad railway service is being restored. He added that Heavy Industries Taxila Pakistan will soon begin local manufacturing of electric buses as well.