Millions of daily commuters across Punjab may soon get more good news. The provincial government is reportedly preparing to extend its free public transport facility for another month — a move that could bring continued relief to working-class citizens already squeezed by rising fuel costs.
According to official sources, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has called a high-level meeting on Monday to take the final call on the extension. While the announcement is still pending, all signs point toward a green light.
Transport Department Submits Proposal for One More Month Extension
Insiders confirm that the Punjab Transport Department has already finalized its recommendations and forwarded a formal proposal to the Chief Minister’s office. The groundwork, paperwork, and operational planning everything is reportedly in place.
If approved, the extension will cover Punjab’s most used mass transit networks, including:
- Orange Line Metro Train (Lahore)
- Metro Bus Service
- Speedo Bus Service
- Electric Bus fleet
In simple terms if you ride any of these, your commute stays free for another 30 days.
The free travel scheme wasn’t a random giveaway. It was rolled out as a direct relief measure after the recent hike in petroleum product prices started hitting household budgets hard. With fuel becoming a daily worry for millions, the Punjab government stepped in to absorb some of that pressure at least on the commute front.
And the impact? Honestly, bigger than most people realize.
How Many People Are Actually Benefiting?
The numbers tell a powerful story about how deeply this facility has woven itself into daily life across Punjab:
| Orange Line Train | ~290,000 passengers |
| Metro Bus | 100,000+ passengers |
| Total across Punjab (all services combined) | Around 800,000 citizens daily |
That’s nearly 8 lakh people every single day students heading to college, daily wage workers reaching job sites, women commuting to offices, and elderly citizens visiting hospitals all moving freely without spending a rupee on fare.
The Transport Department has also proposed that the facility be phased out gradually once petroleum prices return to normal levels.
The matter will be finalized in a session chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, after which the official notification is likely to follow.
