The Punjab government on Friday announced it is waiving fares for all government-operated public transport within the province as part of relief measures amidst hefty fuel prices resulting from the ongoing Iran conflict.
Late on Thursday night, the federal government announced a hefty increase to petroleum prices, raising the consumer price of petrol to Rs. 458.41/liter and diesel to Rs. 520.35/liter.
In a statement, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said no citizen would have to purchase a ticket if they are traveling on the Orange Line Train, Metro Bus Service, Speedo Bus, and the Green Electric Bus.
Additionally, she said, the government would protect agriculture, food, and farmers. In this regard, she said farmers would receive a Rs. 100/liter subsidy for every acre of land they are harvesting.
The chief minister also reiterated that the government was subsidizing fuel for motorcyclists, with all registered bike owners receiving Rs. 100/liter subsidy for 20 liters of fuel. It remains unclear how this would be transferred to citizens.
In her statement, Maryam appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for maintaining petroleum supply and prices in Pakistan for a month of the war despite international challenges. In providing billions of rupees in subsidized relief over the past month, she said, the prime minister made sincere efforts to shield the public from hardships.
The chief minister vowed the government would not abandon the public during this difficult time, and urged citizens to avail public transport over private vehicles to conserve fuel. She noted the ongoing Iran war has pushed the global economy into crisis, regretting Pakistan was particularly affected due to its reliance on imported oil. She vowed the government would provide relief to the public once conditions improve.
Also on Friday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced public transport in Islamabad would also be free to the public for the next month. “On the directions of the prime minister, all public transport in Islamabad will be made free of cost for the general public for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow,” he wrote on X.
“The Ministry of Interior will bear the expenditure of Rs. 350 million for this public relief initiative. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.