LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced that more than 125,000 electric bikes will be provided to talented male and female students under the “CM Maryam Nawaz E-Bike Scheme”.
The decision was taken during a special meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to review progress on the scheme.
The chief minister rejected proposals seeking a down payment or any charges from students other than the monthly instalment. The provincial government will bear the interest and insurance costs of the e-bikes.
The meeting agreed in principle to set the monthly instalment at around Rs3,000.
Maryam Nawaz also approved in principle the gradual expansion of the e-bike scheme to government employees, departments and public delivery riders.
She directed officials to open the e-bike portal this week and make arrangements to provide the vehicles to eligible students within six weeks.
The meeting was informed that helmets and safety rods would be provided free of cost along with the e-bikes, which will be equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
On the chief minister’s directives, aspiring students will also receive free two-day training in e-bike riding.
In a statement on X, Maryam Nawaz said applications would open on Friday for students across Punjab to apply for an electric bike with zero down payment and an affordable monthly instalment of Rs3,000.
She said the electric bikes would make daily commuting easier for students, help them save on fuel costs and reduce the burden of expensive transportation.
The Chief Minister’s Office said students from both government and private educational institutions would be eligible to apply, providing young people across Punjab an equal opportunity to benefit from the scheme.
“Black for the boys and pink for the girls,” the chief minister said.
Maryam Nawaz said the government’s vision was to make Punjab’s students independent and empowered by providing them with reliable mobility.
