Lahore to launch app-based e-bike rental service

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to introduce what it says will be Pakistan’s first app-based electric motorbike rental service, aimed at improving last-mile travel in Lahore while also addressing worsening air pollution.

Under the first phase of the plan, 10,000 e-bikes and 300 docking and charging stations will be set up across the city. Residents will be able to rent a bike within seconds through a dedicated mobile application, according to officials.

The project was discussed at a meeting chaired on Monday by Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, who said the initiative was being developed under the government’s Green Mobility Programme and would need final approval before its formal launch.

Speaking at the meeting, Mengal linked the project to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s environmental agenda.

“The initiative is being developed under the government’s Green Mobility Programme and will require its final approval before formal launch,” he said.

“According to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision, we are introducing modern schemes to reduce smog and pollution. This is not a merely transport initiative, it is an environmental commitment. This is one of our most concrete steps in that direction,” he added.

Deployment and connectivity

Officials said the docking stations would be placed in important residential and commercial zones, with particular emphasis on linking riders to existing public transport hubs. The government expects the service to be especially useful for students, daily-wage earners and office workers, whom Mengal said were among those most affected by fuel expenses and transport-related delays.

Mengal said the Horticulture Agency Lahore would identify and provide land for the docking and charging facilities. He added that multiple institutions were expected to support the project, including the Lahore Parking Company, the transport department, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority and other relevant departments.

Environmental and transport goals

According to Mengal, shifting even a portion of short-distance travel from petrol-powered vehicles to electric bikes could prevent thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions each year. He said planners also expected the scheme to contribute over time to lower traffic congestion, reduced fuel spending and less noise pollution as the network expands.

He also said minors would not be allowed to register on the application.