Islamabad inducts new electric buses, lifts fleet to 160 as depot goes live

Pakistan on Friday commissioned a new batch of electric buses and a dedicated charging depot in Islamabad, taking the capital’s electric bus fleet to 160 vehicles operating across 21 routes, officials said.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi inaugurated the depot and charging station and reviewed operational arrangements, including fleet management and charging infrastructure. He later rode one of the buses and was briefed on system performance and expansion plans.

Naqvi said the electric bus service currently carries about 125,000 passengers per day, with a target to increase ridership to 250,000. He said student commuters have been prioritised in route planning.

He announced that the service will be extended to Rawat and further integrated with the Metro Bus system to reduce traffic pressure between Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He also confirmed the restoration of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad local rail service and said Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Pakistan is preparing to begin domestic production of electric buses.

Officials said the new depot can house 64 charging units, with 50 chargers already installed and 14 more to be added. Each charger can charge two buses within two hours. The charging and fleet system has been integrated with Google for real time tracking and navigation.

Senior officials, including the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Inspector General of Police, and Deputy Commissioner, attended the inauguration ceremony.