LAHORE (MNN); Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday formally launched Pakistan’s first e-taxi scheme, describing it as a major step toward women’s empowerment and environmentally friendly transport.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Lahore, she said Punjab had become the first province to introduce the initiative, which would provide a respectable source of employment while promoting sustainable transportation.
Under the scheme, more than 30 per cent of the vehicles have been reserved for women. The provincial government will pay 60 per cent of the down payment for female drivers and 50 per cent for male drivers.
In the first phase, 1,100 electric vehicles will be distributed with a government subsidy of Rs4 billion.
The chief minister also announced that a green bus service would be introduced in every tehsil of Punjab, along with a trackless train project. She said 1,500 new buses would be added initially, followed by another 1,100 buses.
Maryam Nawaz said the e-taxi programme would particularly benefit women, including single mothers, by providing them with dignified earning opportunities. She added that the government was taking practical measures to provide relief to citizens and claimed that inflation was on the decline.
She also highlighted initiatives such as the Nighaban Ramzan package, free medicines, ambulance services, and smog control efforts, saying her mission was to ensure that citizens receive their rights at their doorsteps.
