Punjab Launches Motorbike Scheme for Students

News Desk 

Faisalabad: Provincial Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan has said that according to the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, 20,000 motorbikes will be provided to students across the province under the Chief Minister’s Youth Initiatives.

The students interested in their own ride can apply for motorbikes by April 29. The Punjab government will make the motorbike scheme successful like the laptop scheme.

He was addressing the road show held for providing awareness about interest free bikes on easy installments to students (boys and girls) at Iqbal Auditorium, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad here on Tuesday.

MPA Jafar Ali Hocha, Secretary Transport Punjab Ahmad Javed Qazi, Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice-Chancellor Government College Women University Dr Zil-i-Huma Nazli, and large number of students participated in the show.

A documentary was also shown regarding the procedure and applying for bikes.

He said that more than 100,000 students have so far shown their interest in motorbikes from all over the Punjab province.

The transport administrator said that the government wants to resolve the traveling issues of the students. The officers of the Transport department are organizing roadshows and events in their districts and regions, he said.

The minister said that 20,000 motorbikes are few for the students, adding that a second phase would also be initiated soon. In the next phase, the number of E-bikes would be increased.

The minister also answered some of the students’ questions on the occasion.

Vice-Chancellor UAF Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmed Khan while appreciating the bike scheme under the youth program, expressed hope that it will help resolve the transportation issues of students.

He said that Agricultural University in collaboration with Aurat Foundation had launched a project of 500 bicycles for female students. This project proved very helpful for female students for their hostels to classrooms and other field work.

He said that with the financial support of the Punjab government, a modern hostel for 1500 female students is under construction in the varsity, which will be completed soon.

Later, talking to the media, the Minister Bilal Akbar Khan said that the government is making efforts to provide traveling facilities to the students so they could concentrate on their education. Interest free bikes are a step in this regard, he added.

He said that a 50 percent quota has been reserved for girls in the motorbike scheme in Faisalabad.

The separate desks for driving licenses will also be set up in universities. There are only 3000 e-bikes registered till now, he said.

He said that manufacturers of the e-bikes are being asked to establish charging stations at the universities to facilitate the students.