RAWALPINDI: As many as 35 more electric buses arrived in the garrison city which increased the total strength of the fleet to 80.

The buses will be operated on different routes from Friday (today).

However, out of the total 10 routes, two have been suspended for the last two months due to the construction work on two underpasses – Race Course Park and Charing Cross – on Peshawar Road. The buses will ply on the existing eight routes.

On the recommendation of the traffic police, Punjab Mass Transit Authority suspended the electric buses on the two routes of Peshawar Road, from Saddar to Bhatta Chowk and Marrir Chowk to Motorway Chowk Chungi No 26.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that total 25 buses will be used in existing eight routes on a need basis while the remaining buses will be utilised after opening of the two routes.

He said that currently a total of 40 buses were operational while five were kept in the reserve.

Electric buses were launched in the garrison city in November 2025 by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. In the initial phase, 45 buses arrived and after getting good response from commuters, the government arranged 35 more buses for Rawalpindi.

Women, elderly people and students were using the buses free of cost while a Rs25 fare was fixed for others.

Route-1 is from Saddar to Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, Route-2 is from Koral Chowk to Fawara Chowk, Route-3 from Umar Baig Chowk to Mandi Mor, Route-4 is from Munawar Colony to Saddar.

Moreover, Route-5 runs from Marrir Chowk to Motorway Mor, Route-6 from Faizabad to Tramri Chowk, Route-7 from IJP Metro Station to Kuri Road, Route-8 from Saddar to Lalarukh Colony, Route-9 from Umair Baig Road to Qadeemi Imambargah Muhallah and Route-10 from Saddar to Qabaristan.

Uzair Shah, Punjab Masstransit Authority General Manager Operation, told Dawn that the PMA had completed the arrangements for charging of the new buses at Regional Transport Authority bus depot on Adamjee Road.

He said that under the law, Punjab Masstransit Authority had the authority to run feeder buses for Metro Bus Service and in this regard all electric buses will run in Rawalpindi.

He said that total 80 electric buses will ply in the garrison city and in the first phase, 45 buses had been launched in Rawalpindi.

He said the buses will be connected with the metro bus service for Rawalpindi and Islamabad and the capital.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2026