Punjab bans purchase of petrol, diesel vehicles for govt depts

Lahore: The Punjab government has decided to completely ban the purchase of petrol and diesel engine vehicles for government departments, as part of its efforts to promote environmentally friendly transportation.

Under the new decision, provincial government departments will now be allowed to purchase only electric or hybrid vehicles. However, vehicles used for field duties have been exempted from this restriction.

The government is also expected to announce a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy soon to further encourage green energy and sustainable transport across the province.

In addition, the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for new petrol pumps has been made conditional on the installation of electric vehicle charging units. According to the Chief Secretary Punjab, Zahid Akhtar Zaman, no new petrol pump will be allowed to operate without setting up EV charging facilities.

As part of this initiative, NOCs have been issued through the e-Biz portal for 170 new petrol pumps across 31 cities, all of which will be required to install electric charging units.

Among them, 29 petrol pumps in Faisalabad and 14 in Lahore have been directed to provide EV charging facilities.

In Bahawalpur, 10 new pumps, while nine each in Khanewal and Bahawalnagar, will be required to install charging units.

Similarly, eight new petrol pumps in Rawalpindi and Jhang have been approved on the condition of installing electric charging units. In Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Kasur, and Chiniot, seven new petrol pumps in each district must also comply with the same requirement.

The Punjab government reiterated that promoting green energy and environmentally sustainable transport remains a top priority.