China-led green transport initiatives go in high gear

ISLAMABAD: Under Pakistan-China synergic cooperation to promote a green vehicular traffic environment, green urban transport system has been rolled out in Punjab.

Interplay of the China-built Orange Line Metro Train Lahore (OLMT), China-made electric buses, and the upcoming Chinese “Super Autonomous Rapid Transit (SRT) Metro” is changing the commutation experience of all and sundry in Punjab, the home of more than 100 million people.

Lahore OLMT, being the first CPEC project in Pakistan, became operational on October 26, 2020.

More than 1,100 electric buses have been put into operation in various cities of Punjab for the travel facilitation of people of the province since last year.

Now charged up with the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) vision, the Chinese SRT Metro is all set to enter Pakistan’s transport landscape. The high-tech commuting service will debut in Lahore, the economic hub and capital of Punjab, in the coming days.

The SRT, known as a trackless, ticketless and battery-powered electric tram, came here after the Chinese company, NORINCO International Cooperation Ltd, brought it to Pakistan on July 21, 2025.

The company is already credited with introducing a modern and top-notch transport system in Pakistan by unveiling, operating, and maintaining OLMT.

In an exclusive interview, when asked, NORINCO CEO, Tan Zidong, said that the Super Autonomous Rapid Transport system is a highly innovative and eco-friendly initiative that will greatly enhance Punjab’s public transport network.

“It offers faster, safer, and cleaner mobility while being more cost-effective, as it does not require traditional rail tracks or overhead power lines.

The fully automated and sensor-based system reduces road congestion, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions. Most importantly, it provides affordable, comfortable, and sustainable travel options for local communities, improving connectivity and overall quality of life,” he mentioned. In the form of SRT, commuters are going to cherish a superior-quality travelling experience.

NORINCO International spokesperson Taha Khan Aziz said that the upcoming operation of the SRT metro line would help enable Pakistan to have the most advanced urban subway transit operating system in South Asia and would greatly improve the traffic conditions in Lahore and become a new landmark of the city.

With the operationalisation of the SRT tram in Lahore, Pakistan will be well-positioned to meet the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which sets the target of reducing 50% global number of deaths and injuries due to traffic accidents.

Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) General Manager (Operations) Uzair Shah said the entire urban transport system is undergoing innovative technological advancement, including electric, trackless and driverless vehicles.

Punjab is also becoming a beneficiary of such high-tech public transport models offering local people easy, affordable and smart mobility by resolving their daily transportation woes.

Meanwhile, Lahore OMLT has another value addition in the public transport system that has been blessing people of Lahore with affordable, effective, swift and eco-friendly commutation since its launch in 2020.

It is Pakistan’s first urban railway system as well as the first implemented large-scale public infrastructure project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the “Belt & Road Initiative”.

The project’s Comprehensive Management Department Deputy General Manager Liteng said that “the Orange Line provides a modern, punctual, and safe mode of transport for the people of Lahore, significantly reducing travel time across the city’s key routes”.

As an electric-powered mass transit system, he said, “OLMT helps reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, contributing to a cleaner and greener Lahore.”

Punjab Transport Department PRO Sheraz said that around 200 electric green buses have been deployed in nine districts of Punjab, including Mianwali (15 buses), Wazirabad (15 buses), Sargodha (33 buses), Sahiwal (16 buses), DG Khan (24 buses), Faisalabad (30 buses), Pakpatan (15 buses), Lahore (40 buses), and Muzaffarabad (17 buses).

“The rest of the 1,000 buses and more will ply on the roads of the other remaining districts of Punjab,” he added.

The fare for this service is proposed to be just Rs20 as the provincial government plans to keep the service within the budgetary range of low-income groups, the report added.