Electric bus service to start in Attock from April: minister

ATTOCK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2026) Punjab Minister for Transport and Mass Transit Bilal Akbar Khan said on Tuesday that the electric bus service in Attock would formally start from April, while a zero-tolerance policy would be enforced against overcharging by transporters on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Chairing a meeting at the DC Office Attock, he said provision of quality, safe and affordable transport facilities to the public was the top priority of the Punjab government and the launch of the electric bus service in Attock was part of that vision.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Anil Saeed, Assistant Commissioner Attock Arif Qureshi, Secretary Regional Transport Authority Attock Sardar Zaheer Ahmad Khan, former provincial minister Jahangir Khanzada, former MPA Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, Malik Hameed Akbar Khan, former chairman municipal committee Sheikh Nasir Mehmood, Chief Officer Municipal Committee Attock Sardar Aftab Ahmad Khan and other officials.

During a briefing, Secretary RTA Sardar Zaheer Ahmad Khan informed the meeting that a special squad had been constituted to provide relief to passengers on Eid-ul-Fitr and would take strict action against overcharging and other violations in commercial vehicles.

He said fines of more than Rs14 million had so far been imposed on commercial vehicles for violations of transport rules.

The meeting was further informed that proposals to upgrade bus stands in Attock and Fateh Jang were under consideration, while a formal request had been sent to the Punjab government for shifting the central bus stand of Attock outside the city.

Bilal Akbar Khan said that in the initial phase, electric buses would operate on routes linking Attock with Haji Shah, Attock Khurd and Hazro, while the service would later be extended to other tehsils.

Later, the minister visited the General Bus Stand Attock, met passengers, listened to their issues and reviewed the display of fare lists. He also inspected the control room and complaint cell and directed officers to ensure immediate redressal of public complaints.

Talking to media, the minister said the service would initially be launched with 15 green buses, which would ply on Attock, Haji Shah, Fateh Jang, Hasan Abdal and Hazro routes.

He said the buses would run on a hybrid system and each bus would cover about 300 kilometres daily.

He said a hybrid charging model had been adopted for the electric buses, including both WAPDA electricity and solar power. Solar systems had also been installed at charging stations and 16 to 18 megawatts of electricity generation had so far been achieved.

However, he added, complete reliance on solar power was not possible due to the high cost of battery storage.

He said a special electricity tariff had been fixed by the relevant Federal authority for electric vehicle charging under which the cost came to around Rs35 per unit as compared to the normal Rs60 to Rs70 per unit.

The minister said two main green bus routes were currently active, covering up to around 35 kilometres from Attock, including Hazro and Attock Khurd, while six more routes had also been identified but could not be launched yet due to longer distances.

He said depots would be established at tehsil level in future so that far-flung areas, especially Pindi Gheb and other underdeveloped tehsils, could also benefit from the facility.

Bilal Akbar Khan said the maximum range of an electric bus was around 300 kilometres, therefore routes were being planned accordingly. He said a bus covering 30 kilometres one way completed a 60-kilometre round trip and around five trips could be made daily depending on route conditions, stoppages and driver fatigue.

He said 500 electric buses had already been supplied to 20 districts in the first batch across Punjab, while out of another 600 buses, 100 were expected to arrive soon and the rest were in production.

He said all buses were expected to be available by the end of April, adding that Attock would receive another 20 to 25 buses in the next phase. He said a plan for 1,500 more buses for next year had also been approved.

The minister warned that strict action would be taken against transporters involved in overcharging during Eid and urged them to comply with government instructions or face fines.

He also advised citizens to register complaints through helpline 1071 and the Chief Minister’s Portal.

He said vehicle fitness, brakes, lights and other safety features were being checked regularly, though old vehicles remained a challenge due to limited resources and the transport system could not be replaced overnight.

He said transporters had been directed to maintain vehicles according to safety standards and ensure careful driving to avoid accidents.

Regarding heavy vehicles, he said the existing fitness station was insufficient for large transport and mobile checking units would be established temporarily in different tehsils for 15 days to ensure effective inspection of heavy traffic.

The minister also visited the CM Punjab First Women Bazaar Attock and reviewed the ongoing construction work there.

Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza informed the meeting that the 120-year-old dilapidated British-era building had been reconstructed, where 36 shops had been established.

He said a Camel Port Tea House and a Tree House for children had also been constructed.

The provincial minister appreciated the performance of the deputy commissioner and said the district administration was taking commendable steps for public welfare.

END/RHN