Punjab Govt Bans Purchase of Petrol and Diesel Vehicles, Promotes Electric and Hybrid Transport

Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to impose a complete ban on the purchase of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles for government departments as part of a major initiative to promote environmentally friendly transport across the province.

According to details, the ban will apply to all government departments, under which only electric or hybrid vehicles will be allowed for procurement in the future. However, vehicles assigned for field duty have been exempted from this restriction.

Punjab Chief Secretary said that promoting green energy and ensuring environmental protection are top priorities of the provincial government. He added that a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy will be introduced soon to further encourage sustainable transport.

The Chief Secretary also announced that the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for new petrol pumps has been made conditional on the installation of electric vehicle charging units. No new petrol pump will be allowed to operate without installing an EV charging facility.

He said that the installation of electric charging units has been made mandatory for 170 new petrol pumps that have already obtained NOCs. These NOCs have been issued through the e-Biz portal for petrol pumps across 31 cities of the province.

Under the plan, 29 petrol pumps in Faisalabad, 14 in Lahore, and 10 in Bahawalpur will be required to provide electric charging facilities. Similarly, nine petrol pumps each in Khanewal and Bahawalnagar, eight each in Rawalpindi and Jhang, and seven each in Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Kasur, and Chiniot have been approved on the condition of installing EV charging units.

The move is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the transition toward sustainable transportation in Punjab.