Karachi: Karachi-based Raja Kamran is swapping his motorcycle commute for Pakistan’s first-ever electric bus service has saved cash and helped him avoid some of city’s pollution.

Small fleet of fully electric buses started operating in country’s financial capital in January as part of government drive to cut worsening air pollution produced by vehicles and industry, power plants and brick kilns as well as burning of solid waste.

“Electric bus service has not only decreased my weekly travelling costs but also helped (with) my health problems,” 50-year-old journalist said by phone, noting that he had suffered back pain while riding his motorcycle to work.

However, Kamran said there were not enough e-buses only 10 of initial fleet of 50 are currently running and that he sometimes had to wait 45 minutes to catch one of them.

With concerns growing over number of vehicles on roads there were 30.7 million in Pakistan in 2020, up from 9.6 million in 2011 cities such as Peshawar and Karachi have announced plans to promote greener transport. Karachi’s 50 e-buses can each carry at least 70 passengers and travel 240 km on single charge.

Fleet which cost $ 15 million was funded through public-private partnership with a transport company purchasing buses and operating them for eight years before Sindh government takes over as owner.

Government is now in talks with Asian Development Bank seeking loan of about $ 30 million to purchase an additional 100 buses, according to Abdul Haleem Shaikh Secretary of Sindh’s Transport and Mass Transit Department.

In Peshawar, provincial government is taking old buses off road and replacing them with diesel-electric hybrid models as part of new public transport system.

And in Karachi, in push separate from 50 new e-buses, government has been rolling out network of 250 vehicles fueled by bio-methane produced from water buffalo manure.

“A commuter that uses his own smoke-emitting vehicle or bike to get to his workplace does not understand what cruelty he is committing with environment,” he said.

Yasir Husain of Darya Lab, consultancy firm dealing with environmental issues said at least 1,500 rather than 150 e-buses would be needed to have any impact in reducing emissions in Karachi.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 14 2023

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