Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi inaugurated the new electric bus depot and charging center in Islamabad and announced the extension of the city’s electric bus service to Rawat.
During the ceremony, Naqvi rode an electric bus with officials and received a detailed briefing on the depot’s operations and charging infrastructure. He commended the project team for successfully completing the initiative.
Currently, around 125,000 commuters use Islamabad’s electric buses daily, with a target to increase daily ridership to 250,000 passengers. The routes have been planned to address the commuting needs of both male and female students.
Naqvi highlighted that the electric bus service, alongside the metro, is helping alleviate traffic congestion in Islamabad. He also announced the restoration of the Rawalpindi–Islamabad railway service.
In a move to promote local manufacturing, the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) will begin producing electric buses in Pakistan. The depot currently has a capacity for 64 chargers, with 50 installed and 14 more set to be added. Each charger can service two buses in about two hours.
Presently, the electric buses operate on 21 routes across Islamabad and the system has been integrated with Google for enhanced commuter experience.
The inauguration was attended by the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, IG Islamabad Police, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, and other senior officials.