KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday announced that it will soon launch Pakistan's first electric taxis in the province.
“Pakistan's first electric taxis and pink electric taxis will be operationalised soon by the Transport Department of the Government of Sindh,” Sindh Minister for Information, Excise, Narcotics and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The announcement comes at a time when the province's largest city, Karachi, is suffering from high levels of air pollution due to an overwhelmingly large number of petrol-powered vehicles in the face of a public transport system arguably insufficient to meet their needs.
The introduction of electric taxis is not only likely to address the issue of air pollution but could also provide an alternative and hopefully cheaper travel option for the masses due to the high fuel prices which have not only resulted in high fares charged by various online travel apps but also cost private vehicle owners a lot.
Furthermore, the introduction of electric vehicles is also in line with the global trend and shift towards environmentally friendly vehicles, as several countries around the world strive to move away from fossil fuels.
Earlier this year, Karachi received 30 hybrid and 50 electric buses as part of the Peoples Bus Service fleet operating in the city, bringing the total number to 300 vehicles.
