Environmentalists are urging the government of Pakistan to immediately ensure the provision of incentives to Electric Vehicles (EV) owners in the country.
A prominent figure from the environmentalist community of Pakistan, Saeed Barlas, stated that the federal government had made certain promises regarding the incentivization of the use of EVs when it announced its policy, but the promises are yet to be fulfilled.
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“The government announced that there would be minimum charges for registration of electric vehicles. It was also promised that the users of electric vehicles would be exempted from annual token tax and toll tax all over the country,” he explained.
On this note, a conservationist, Shakeel Ahmad, said, “When it comes to air pollution, we are currently facing a crisis-like situation. So, this is the time to promote the use of electric vehicles to protect our environment and the health of the masses as well”.
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Ahmed added that the government seems to be going in the opposite direction of its claims, remarking that instead of being relaxed, registration charges have been increased from Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 850,000.
Furthermore, the community said that the infrastructure is far from sufficient to cater to the changing needs of EVs.
A spokesman of the Ministry of Climate Change has affirmed that the department is working alongside the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant departments to ensure the establishment of charging stations for EVs on main highways and motorways.
“The government will come up with incentives to promote the use of electric vehicles that can help reduce air pollution and protect the natural environment,” he assured.
