LAHORE: The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that no vehicle failing to meet the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS) for emissions and noise will be allowed to operate on Lahore’s roads after November 15, 2025.
Under the order issued by EPA Director General Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh, all light transport vehicles (LTVs) and motor cars manufactured between 2010 and 2015 must undergo testing through the Emission Testing System (ETS) of EPA Punjab before the deadline. Only those declared compliant will be permitted to remain in operation.
The directive, issued under Section 15(2) of the Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997, is part of the provincial government’s drive to curb vehicular pollution—a major contributor to urban air quality deterioration.
To facilitate vehicle owners, the EPA has established ETS booths at ten locations across Lahore: Manwan Police Training Center, CBD Kalma Chowk, Emporium, Al Kabir Downtown, Valencia, Central Park, Model Town, BFC, Carrefour Parking, and Khayaban-e-Amin. After the deadline, the EPA will initiate legal action against non-compliant vehicles in accordance with the relevant clauses of the Environmental Protection Act and the Punjab Environmental Protection (Motor Vehicles) Rules, 2013.
Dr. Sheikh said that the first phase covers 2010–2015 models, while a schedule for vehicles of other years will be issued subsequently. He directed EPA’s field and laboratory wings to ensure implementation of the order “in true letter and spirit.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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