LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) of Lahore will distribute the first batch of electric bikes to its workforce on Monday (today). PHA has become the first government department to embrace eco-friendly commuting in the fight against air pollution.

While all cities are affected, outdoor air pollution in Lahore stands at 15 to 17 times above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the data.

Chairing a meeting convened to discuss the initiative; Director General Tahir Wattoo emphasized the need to improve the air quality of Lahore and reviewed the measures taken so far to achieve that outcome. Wattoo observed that e-bikes, being zero-emission vehicles using lithium-ion batteries, have emerged as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to traditional transportation.

“They offer the potential to reduce fuel costs with zero noise and air pollution,” he said.

The Electric Vehicles Policy of Pakistan 2020–2025 is a crucial component of the government’s ambition to promote local production of e-vehicles, providing incentives, with the ultimate goal of capturing a substantial share of the market.

It was also discussed several proposals and performance reports pertaining to increasing the green cover of Lahore.

The PHA has undertaken a city-wide plantation blitz, sowing millions of plants in far-flung as well as central Lahore neighborhoods to increase the green cover of the city. Just last month, it entered into a partnership with a foreign business group to plant a million trees.

“Urban air pollution continues to rise at an alarming rate, wreaking havoc on human health. It’s one of the biggest problems we are facing globally,” Wattoo said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023