By Lahore News Correspondent

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister, Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that all public transport will be run on CNG to eliminate environmental pollution.

The chief minister said this presiding a high-level meeting of transport department, here Friday. He said, in the first phase, only such bus owners of would be allotted route permits who will run CNG fitted vehicles in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad.

Ch. Pervaiz Elahi said route permits would not be issued to two-stroke rickshaws, but they would be provided interest-free loans to convert their vehicles into four-stroke rickshaws. He said for the owners of the diesel engine buses it would be made essential to convert their diesel engines into CNG fitted engines.

He said a green fund was being set up in the Planning and Development Department to provide interest-free loans and grants to the owners of two-stroke rickshaws to convert their vehicles into four-stroke engines and diesel engines bus owners to have them fitted with CNG. With the use of CNG, people will not only have a pollution-free atmosphere, but there will also be a marked reduction in the transport expenditures, he added.

Ch Pervaiz Elahi said with the promotion of CNG technology, environmental pollution would be controlled. He directed the Chairman P&D Department to chalk out a comprehensive project with the cooperation of Finance, Environment and other departments to ensure implementation of these steps.

Source: http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2004-daily/25-12-2004/metro/l1.htm