Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday inaugurated a new electric bus service in Rawalpindi, deploying 45 buses in the first phase of an 80-bus fleet.
The buses will operate on four routes: seven buses from Saddar to Qabristan Chowk (7 km), eight from Fawara Chowk to Koral Chowk (11.3 km), seven from Saddar Metro Bus Station to Munawar Colony, and 14 from Marrir Metro Bus Station to Motorway Chowk (13.1 km). Kutchery Chowk is excluded due to ongoing remodeling, the Regional Transport Authority said.
CM Maryam said the buses are air-conditioned, offer free Wi-Fi, charging ports, wheelchair access, and dedicated sections for women. Fares are Rs20, with free travel for women, the elderly, and children with special needs.
The chief minister said the initiative is part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure and public services, including roads, signal-free corridors, flyovers, hospitals, schools, and healthcare facilities. She added that crime in Punjab has dropped by 70 percent.
The inauguration had been postponed from October 15 following a Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan protest in Islamabad.
