Urban air pollution is a major and longstanding problem across Pakistan, as it's ranking stands third worldwide out of 118 nations for worst air quality in 2021, according to IQAir, a Swiss pollution technology company. Also read: KDA tells nursery owners to pay upYet environmental and urban experts have questioned whether the small number of electric buses will have a significant impact, and called for a much wider and more meaningful transport overhaul. But air pollution remains one of the country’s main environmental concerns, with at least 40% of dirty air in Pakistan produced by vehicles, the country’s climate change ministry has said. In November 2019, the government set a target to bring a half million electric motorcycles and rickshaws, along with more than 100,000 electric cars, buses and trucks, into the transportation system within five years. Shaikh, the transport secretary, acknowledged that the 150 new electric buses would not do much to reduce air pollution in isolation, but pointed to the bio-methane vehicles and also highlighted the 29 traditional bus routes covering the city.

Source: The Nation March 13, 2023 22:56 UTC