Flood Relief Efforts Delay Lahore Canal Road Electric Tram Project

Lahore, October 31 (By our Staff Reporter Farzana Chaudhry):
The launch of the electric tram project on Lahore’s Canal Road has been delayed due to the ongoing diversion of funds toward flood relief efforts, Punjab’s Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said that Rs 130 billion has been allocated for flood-affected families across the province, which has temporarily delayed the start of the tram project. He added that three new proposals are being incorporated into the plan and will be presented to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for approval in December.

According to the revised schedule, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Canal Road electric tram will take place in the coming months, while the project is expected to become operational within one to one-and-a-half years.

Bilal Akbar Khan noted that the original plan, initiated in 2009, envisioned four metro lines for Lahore, but a recent transport study indicates that six lines are now required to meet the city’s growing public transport needs.

He further announced that, with the support of the World Bank, around 400 new buses will be added to Lahore’s public transport system at a cost of $250 million, including a fleet of 800 electric buses aimed at promoting environmentally sustainable urban mobility.