Punjab bans petrol, diesel vehicles for govt departments

The Punjab government has decided to stop the purchase of new petrol and diesel vehicles for government departments as part of its broader drive toward environmentally friendly transportation.

Under the new directive, departments will be allowed to buy only electric or hybrid vehicles. However, vehicles required for field operations have been exempted from this restriction due to operational needs.

In another major step, the provincial government has tightened rules for establishing new petrol pumps. Authorities have made it mandatory for all newly approved fuel stations to install electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities before receiving a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Without EV charging units, no new petrol pump will be permitted to operate.

Punjab’s Chief Secretary said the promotion of green energy and clean transport is a key priority to reduce environmental pollution. He added that a comprehensive electric vehicle policy for the province is being finalized and will be announced soon.

According to official figures, NOCs for 170 new petrol pumps across 31 cities have already been issued through the E-Biz portal. Cities expected to see the highest number of new stations include Faisalabad with 29 pumps, Lahore with 14, Bahawalpur with 10, and Khanewal and Bahawalnagar with nine each. All these stations will be required to provide EV charging facilities.