The Punjab government has banned the purchase of new petrol and diesel vehicles for government departments as part of its efforts to promote environment-friendly transport.
Under the decision, government departments will now be allowed to purchase only electric or hybrid vehicles. Vehicles used for field duties have been exempted from this restriction. The provincial government has also linked the approval of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for new petrol pumps to the installation of electric vehicle charging units.
According to the decision, authorities will issue approval for any new petrol pump only after an electric charging unit is installed, and no new pump will be allowed to operate without this facility.
Chief Secretary Punjab said the promotion of green energy remains a priority for environmental protection and confirmed that the province will soon introduce a new electric vehicle policy.
In this regard, authorities have issued NOCs for 170 new petrol pumps in 31 cities through the e-Biz Portal. The city-wise breakdown includes 29 petrol pumps in Faisalabad, 14 in Lahore, 10 in Bahawalpur, and nine each in Khanewal and Bahawalnagar.
The government has made the installation of electric charging units mandatory at all newly approved petrol pumps to ensure the availability of environment-friendly energy facilities for consumers.