Punjab to Test Driverless Cars, Launch Pakistan’s First Electric Taxi Service

Lahore: The Punjab government has announced plans to conduct trials of driverless cars in the province, signaling a new era in the transportation sector.

The announcement was made by Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan during Pakistan’s first-ever Transport Expo held in Lahore on Thursday. While the minister did not provide a detailed schedule for the trials, Punjab becomes the first province in the country to initiate self-driving car trials.

Globally, driverless car trials are advancing rapidly. In the United States, companies like Waymo and Cruise operate robotaxi services in cities such as Phoenix and San Francisco. China is conducting large-scale autonomous trials in cities including Wuhan, deploying fleets of self-driving taxis. The United Kingdom has introduced the world’s first autonomous bus service in Scotland under the CAVForth project. Other countries, including Japan, Singapore, Norway, and Germany, are also actively testing self-driving shuttles and vans. These trials aim to ensure safety, improve navigation in real-world environments, and prepare legal frameworks for future commercial deployment.

E-Taxi Scheme Launch

In addition, the Punjab Transport Minister announced that the province’s electric taxi scheme will be launched within 15 days, placing the start date in the third week of September 2025. This initiative will mark Pakistan’s first electric taxi service and represents a move toward cleaner, electric-powered vehicles.

In its first phase, 1,100 electric taxis will be distributed across Punjab, including Lahore.

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