Chandigarh, April 3:
The Punjab Government has taken a step forward to introduce electric buses and promote an eco-system throughout the state. This initiative will not only help provide a pollution-free environment but also offer better environmental conditions and transportation facilities to citizens.
While chairing a meeting at the Punjab Civil Secretariat here today, Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar directed the officials of Local Government and Transport Department to jointly conduct a survey regarding the operation of EV buses and promotion of the eco-system. Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led government is committed to making the state pollution-free and providing citizens with a clean environment, said the Cabinet Minister, adding that the time has come to introduce EV buses in Punjab. He asked the concerned officials to take immediate action toward this objective.
The Transport Minister said that in the first phase, a proposal will be formulated to operate EV buses in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar and Patiala. He said that 100 EV buses to be plied in Amritsar, 75 in Jalandhar, 100 in Ludhiana, 100 in SAS Nagar and 50 buses in Patiala.
S. Laljit Singh Bhullar also instructed PRTC and Punjab Roadways/PUNBUS officials to review the de-clubbing of bus route permits and find solutions in accordance with the law.
The Cabinet Minister informed that 450 large buses, 100 mini buses from PRTC and 312 new buses from PUNBUS will be soon added to the Punjab Transport Department’s fleet, with the necessary procedures already underway.
Prominent amongst others who were present in the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary Transport Mr. D.K. Tiwari, State Transport Commissioner S. Jaspreet Singh, Director State Transport Mr. Rajiv Gupta along with senior officials from the Local Government and Transport Departments.
