Punjab e-bike scheme distribution for students starts November 5
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced that the Punjab e-bike scheme will begin handing over 100,000 electric bikes to students on November 5, with a larger share reserved for female students. Students who do not know how to ride will get two days of free driving training so they can travel to class on their own.
The scheme has drawn an overwhelming response: more than 1.2 million registrations and over 600,000 applications have been received. Successful applicants will be picked through a balloting process, and the government says improving transport for young people — especially female students — is among its top priorities.
Punjab e-bike scheme: what students get
The terms have become steadily more generous since the scheme was revamped. In September, the chief minister approved an expansion to more than 125,000 e-bikes, scrapped the down payment entirely and fixed the monthly instalment at around Rs3,000. The provincial government will pay the interest and insurance on every bike, on top of an existing subsidy — a major improvement on the earlier structure, which asked male students for a Rs14,000 down payment plus Rs2,100 a month.
Each bike carries a lithium iron phosphate battery, and selected students also receive a free helmet, a safety rod and the two-day riding training. The bikes cannot be sold during the financing period.
The scale dwarfs the province’s earlier interest-free bike programme, which delivered about 20,000 bikes — 19,000 of them petrol-powered and only 1,000 electric. This time the push is fully electric, in line with the government’s clean-transport goals.
How the balloting and financing work
The mechanics were settled at a review meeting in September, when the chief minister approved the expansion to more than 125,000 e-bikes and ordered the down payment scrapped. The Bank of Punjab handles financing, verification and instalment collection, while the Punjab Information Technology Board runs the online portal and the computerised balloting. The Transport Department oversees delivery through authorised dealers.
The numbers break down like this: each bike costs about Rs199,000, of which the government pays a Rs90,000 subsidy. The student repays Rs109,000 in 36 monthly instalments of Rs3,028 — with no down payment, no interest and no insurance charges, all of which the province absorbs. Bikes come in black for male students and pink for female students, and they cannot be sold until the loan is fully repaid. More than 18,500 bikes were already delivered under the programme’s earlier phases.
The scheme sits inside Maryam Nawaz’s “Year of Youth” agenda, which also promises 100,000 laptops and 100,000 scholarships every year.
Green Bus fares stay at Rs20
Maryam Nawaz also announced that Punjab’s fully electric Green Bus service will keep its Rs20 fare despite recent increases in petrol and diesel prices — welcome news for commuters as fuel costs remain high. The service currently runs 700 buses, and the government plans to expand the fleet to 3,000 within six to eight months.
The buses offer free travel to women, students, senior citizens and people with disabilities, and come fitted with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and CCTV cameras. The government plans to extend the service to all 148 tehsils across Punjab.
When will the e-bikes be distributed?
Distribution will start on November 5, according to the report. A balloting process will select the 100,000 successful applicants from more than 600,000 applications.
Who gets priority in the Punjab e-bike scheme?
A larger share of the bikes is reserved for female students. Students who cannot ride will receive two days of free driving training before taking delivery.
How much does a student pay per month?
The monthly instalment is around Rs3,000, with no down payment. The Punjab government bears the interest and insurance costs.
*Source: ProPakistani*
