Purchase of 500 EV buses for Karachi routes approved: Sharjeel

Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, has said that the Policy Board has approved the purchase of 500 EV buses.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly, the information minister stated that the EV buses will operate on three routes covering Ittehad Town, Banaras Colony, Liaquatabad, Jahangir Road, and Cantt Station, while new routes will also be introduced for the areas of Orangi Ghaziabad, Iqbal Market, Walika, Nazimabad No. 2, Ayesha Manzil, and Zahoor Chowk.

He said that there was previously no concept of EV buses in Pakistan; however, the Pakistan Peoples Party introduced these buses. He added that ridership on the Orange Line has increased, while routes to Tando Allah Yar, Khairpur, Ranipur, and Rohri have also been launched.

“New routes have also been introduced from Maymar,” Sharjeel further stated.

Sharjeel on March 17 inaugurated the new EV bus route from Gulshan-e-Maymar to Tower.

On this occasion, the Sindh minister had claimed that the provincial government was providing high-quality, free healthcare facilities that were not available in other parts of the country.

He had said that the Sindh government had introduced EV bus services and a Pink Bus Service for women for the first time in Pakistan, along with Pink Scooties to promote women’s empowerment.

He had noted that residents of Gulshan-e-Maymar would significantly benefit from the new EV bus service. Pink buses had been launched in the area for the first time, and free Pink bikes would be provided to women.

Acquiring EV buses was not easy, as they were initially held at the port, and unlike others who were charged only 1% tax, the Sindh government had to pay 18% tax, he had added.