On Tuesday, the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa, discussed the major plans to switch commercial buses to electric buses.
In a meeting, Randhawa highlighted the significance of this change, saying that it is a critical step towards making Islamabad’s public transit system more sustainable and efficient.
By switching from regular to electric buses, the city’s transport system will be modernized and its carbon footprint will be greatly reduced.
Chairman Calls for Electric Vehicles Funding Support
To facilitate the switch to electric buses, the chairman assigned the task of exploring the possibility of offering soft loans to commercial transport operators. Special benefits also need to be implemented to speed up the switch.
To secure finance for the electric car plan, he emphasized the importance of seeking assistance from International Financial Institutions (IFIs). The project should focus on getting carbon credits and having a positive effect on the environment.
In order to make sure the program is in line with the country’s broader climate objectives, the Ministry of Climate Change will also be involved.
At the meeting, it was made clear that the charging infrastructure needs to be improved, which is very important for the success of this project.
Also, it was decided that the CDA would work with all institutions and groups in Islamabad to switch all buses to electric ones. This includes schools, colleges, as well as universities.
Charging Stations to Be Installed at Fuel Pumps
Regarding this matter, the chairman gave instructions to introduce new rules to make it easier to set up charging stations for electric vehicles at petrol stations all across the city.
Additionally, charging stations will be located next to the digital parking lots that CDA recently introduced.
