Rawalpindi Gets 80 Electric Buses Next Week: What You Need to Know

Rawalpindi is about to get a major transport upgrade. The city’s first electric bus service launches next week, with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz set to cut the ribbon on a network that will cover 10 routes across the garrison city.

45 Buses Ready to Roll

The district administration has 80 electric buses lined up for the project. Right now, 45 buses that arrived last month are ready to hit the roads in phase one. The other 35 will join once workers finish building charging stations on Peshawar Road, which should wrap up by late December.

The buses are currently sitting at two locations: the old GTS bus stand on Adamjee Road and the Metro Bus Command and Control Centre on Haider Road. A temporary charging setup at the GTS stand is keeping them powered up until the permanent infrastructure is ready.

Why the Delay?

The service was supposed to start on October 15, but the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan protest in Islamabad forced officials to push it back. Now the administration is making final preparations to get things moving.

Routes and Operations

RTA Secretary Asad Shirazi confirmed that driver training is done and the staff is hired. Route planning is complete, though there’s one temporary adjustment: buses will skip the Kutchery Chowk stop until construction there finishes. Alternative routes are mapped out to keep service running smoothly.

The launch marks a shift toward cleaner public transport in one of Punjab’s busiest cities. For residents tired of crowded vans and unreliable schedules, the electric buses could change how they move around Rawalpindi.