Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif handed over fifteen environment-friendly, eco-smart electric vehicles to the Islamabad Traffic Police. Addressing the handover ceremony, he said these environment-friendly vehicles will contribute to saving valuable foreign exchange, particularly in the prevailing regional situation and the skyrocketing of fuel prices in the international market.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister urged provincial governments and other law enforcement agencies to follow suit by inducting eco-friendly electric vehicles into their fleets. The Prime Minister was briefed that each vehicle will be staffed by a captain, one male responder, one female responder, and a driver, all of whom will be provided with special uniforms.

It was further informed that these vehicles will be deployed on major roads of the city to improve traffic flow. A fully charged vehicle can travel 350 to 400 kilometers. Fast charging will take 60 to 90 minutes, while regular charging will require six to eight hours.

The use of these electric vehicles is expected to result in savings of approximately 0.5 million rupees per vehicle per month compared to petrol-powered vehicles. The vehicles are likely to recover their cost within 13 to 14 months. The induction of these vehicles is part of the federal government's modern traffic management plan for Islamabad.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister also inspected the vehicle, while Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi handed over a model of an electric vehicle to Shehbaz Sharif.