The Lahore Canal Road electric tram project has been delayed, with funds redirected to support flood victims. Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan announced that Rs130 billion is being allocated for flood relief, so work on the electric tram will not begin yet.
The minister clarified that the tram will not be operational by February next year. “We are not starting the electric tram project at this time. Three new proposals are being added, which will be presented to the Chief Minister for approval in December,” he said. The project is expected to take one to one and a quarter years to complete once started, with groundbreaking planned in a few months.
Bilal Akbar Khan also noted that in 2009, Lahore needed four metro lines, but the latest transport study shows the city now requires six. “We aim to add one or two metro lines during our government’s term,” he said. With World Bank support, Lahore will see 400 more buses added for $25 million.
The minister also announced plans to introduce a fleet of 800 electric buses in Lahore to improve public transport and reduce pollution.
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There was no proper public transportation on this route for several years. There used to be one long ago, but for quite some time there wasn’t any. Now the Green Electric Bus has finally started — it began just a few weeks ago, maybe two or three weeks back — and it’s covering the Jallo Mor to Thokar route very well. So even if the tram project is delayed or doesn’t happen at all, I don’t think it’s a problem anymore, because the electric bus is already fulfilling people’s transportation needs on this route.