The federal government is moving ahead with a plan to lower fuel expenses by introducing electric bikes for its employees, as rising global oil prices continue to strain the country’s import bill.
Under the proposed scheme, 76,000 electric bikes will be distributed among eligible participants. The plan, prepared by the Engineering Development Board, is currently awaiting final approval from the Prime Minister’s Office. This development follows last week’s approval by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who signed off on a draft to extend electric bikes to a select group of government staff.
To make the program more accessible, the government will offer a subsidy of Rs. 80,000 per electric bike. The structure of this subsidy has been carefully designed. Rs. 30,000 will be paid to banks as interest support, while Rs. 50,000 will be credited directly to the applicant’s bank account. As a result, the financial burden on employees will be reduced.
How to Apply
- Government employees whose salaries are processed through the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) will be eligible.
- Applicants must provide an AGPR verification letter during the application process.
- No personal guarantees will be required to secure the subsidy.
At the same time, the government has reserved a special quota for journalists. However, they will receive electric bikes on a self-financed basis. In contrast, other participants will have access to an installment-based payment option.
In addition, a separate quota for female journalists will be introduced in the second phase. This move is expected to expand participation and improve access. The subsidy will only be released once the bike is registered in the applicant’s name. Therefore, completing the registration process is essential.
The first phase of the initiative faced verification issues. The National Database and Registration Authority was unable to verify some applicants due to technical problems. Despite these challenges, subsidies were still distributed to 40,000 citizens in the initial rollout.
