The first electric bus service in Pakistan has completed a test run and will begin regular service in ten days, Sindh Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has said.

Speaking to the media on the occasion, he said that the environmentally friendly buses met European standards, but the fares for these buses would be lower than those for conventional forms of transportation.

He said that 50 electric buses had arrived in Karachi during the first phase and that routes and fares will soon be published following the completion of a current study to determine the routes of the electric bus service. Since each bus is 12 metres long, there will not be much traffic on the roads, he added.

According to Memon, talks with businesses in China, Europe, and Karachi about the establishment of an electric bus manufacturing facility are now in progress. He stated that regional manufacturing will also aid in the development of job possibilities.

He said importing electric buses costs twice as much as importing hybrid diesel buses, but by establishing a manufacturing facility in Karachi, the cost of these buses can be reduced.

Memon said that the Sindh government had the distinction of launching the nation's first electric bus service in Karachi, with plans to expand it to all of the province's main cities.

In response to a query, he stated that the development of Karachi and its roads is a priority for the Sindh government, and that Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab is personally overseeing all development projects.

Soheb Shafiq, the project director for the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation, told the reporters that the electric buses can accommodate 70 to 90 passengers, with 32 seats for regular people and 2 seats for people with special needs. He added, these buses have a 20-minute charging time and can go 240 kilometres on a single charge.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk