Sustainable Public Transport System for Lahore

Goal
The goal of this sustained environment friendly transport system is to provide mobility
and accessibility to all segments and people of Lahore in a safe and environment
friendly mode of transport, by reducing the negative impacts of transportation on
environment and enhancing the positive impacts of transportation on economy, society
and human well-being.

Global Goals and Initiatives

A sustained environment friendly transport system is directly aligned with the 2030
Agenda for sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement of Climate Change.

Examples of Initiatives and Projects

Some examples of sustained environment friendly transport system are:
 Transjakarta:
The longest bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the world, which serves more
than one million passengers per day in Jakarta, Indonesia, and connects to
smaller vehicles for wider coverage.

 Orange Line Metro Train

Orange Line is a rapid mass transit line in Lahore, and the first electric metro in
Pakistan, which serves more than 100,000 passengers per day.

 Share the Road

A United Nations Programme-led initiative that advocates for investments in
walking and cycling infrastructure, including links to public transport systems,
in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and others.

 Zero Emission Vehicles

Vehicles, which are powered by renewable energy sources such as hydrogen
or ammonia with the aim to decarbonize the shipping sector by 2050.

 Rural Road Rehabilitation

Initiative with the aim to improve access to markets, education, health care and
other services for rural communities in Africa and elsewhere.

Outcomes
Some possible outcomes of such as programme can be:
i. Improved public transportation, such as electric buses and trains and bus rapid
transit (BRT) systems that can carry people far more efficiently than cars.
ii. Increased use of non-motorized transport, such as walking and cycling, which
have low environmental footprints and positive health benefits.
iii. Reduced dependence on fossil fuels and increased adoption of renewable
energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biofuels, for powering vehicles.
iv. Enhanced access to transport services for all segments of society, especially
the poor and marginalized, who often face mobility barriers and lack of
connectivity.
 Result-Based Monitoring
Goal Outcome
Indicators
i. Number and percentage of
people using public
transportation.
Improved public
transportation, such as
electric buses and ii. Number and percentage of
trains and bus rapid public transportation vehicles
transit (BRT) systems running on electric or
that can carry people renewable energy sources.
far more efficiently and
safely than cars.
iii. Number and frequency of
accidents and incidents.
i. Number and percentage of
trips made by walking and
cycling.
Sustainable
Environment-
Friendly Transport
System for Lahore
ii. Length and quality of walking
and cycling infrastructure such
as sidewalks, bike lanes, bike
Increased use of non- parking, etc.
motorized transport,
such as walking and
cycling, which have low
environmental footprints
and positive health
benefits.
iii. Amount of greenhouse gas
emissions avoided or reduced
by shifting from motorized to
non-motorized transport.
Baselines
 40% of daily commuters use
public transportation as daily
means of commuting in 2023.
 30% of people using public
transportation are women in
2023.
 01 mass transit public
transport service running on
electric or renewable energy
in Lahore in 2023.
 No public buses running on
renewable energy in 2023.
 35% of all accident involving
motorized transport occur due
to public transport in 2023.
 3% of daily commuters cycle
or walk for trips longer than
1km on daily basis in 2023.
 On average, people only
make 1% of daily trips by
walking/cycling.
 Only 30% of total length of
main dual carriageway roads
have dedicated walkways for
pedestrians in 2023.
 Only 6% of total length of
main dual carriageway roads
have dedicated bike or cycling
lanes in 2023.
 Average AQI of Lahore in
winters (from October to
February) is above 300 as of
2022.
 Concentration of PM 2.5 and
PM 10 in Lahore is 22 µg/m3
and 46 µg/m3 in winters (from
October to February) as of
2022.
Targets
 75% of daily commuters to use
public transportation on daily basis
by 2030.
 50% of public transport commuters
to be women by 2030.
 03 mass transit transport services
running on electric or renewable
energy by 2030.
 20% of total public buses to be
replaced or converted on
renewable energy by 2030.
 Rate of accidents to be reduced by
10% by 2030.
 Number of daily commuters
walking/cycling for trips longer than
1km to be increased to 10% by
2030.
 Number of daily trips by
walking/cycling to be increased to
10% by 2028.
 50% of total length of main roads to
have dedicate walkways by 2028.
 20% of main roads to have
dedicated bikes/cycling lanes by
2028.
 Average AQI of Lahore in winters to
be reduced to 200 by 2030.
 Concentration of PM 2.5 and PM
10 to be reduced to 12 µg/m3 and
25 µg/m3 in winters as of 2030.
Reduced dependence i. Share of renewable energy in
on fossil fuels and total final energy consumption
increased adoption of for transport.
renewable energy
sources, such as ii. Amount of fossil fuel
biofuels, for powering consumption and associated
vehicles. greenhouse gas emissions
avoided or displaced by
renewable energy use in
transport.
iii. Number and capacity of
renewable energy charging or
refueling stations.
Enhanced access to i. Number and percentage of
transport services for all people who have access to
segments of society, adequate, affordable and safe
especially the poor and transport services.
marginalized, who often
face mobility barriers
and lack of connectivity.
ii. Number and quality of
transport modes and routes
that serve low-income areas,
informal settlements, and
other underserved locations.
iii. Level of satisfaction with
transport services among
different groups of society,
measured by surveys or other
methods.
 No public buses running on
renewable energy in 2023.
 The amount of fossil fuels
consumed by public transport
sector is 1 million tonnes of oil
(ToE) equivalent in 2020.
 Only 10 electric vehicles
charging stations available in
2023.
 No dedicated buses for
women in 2023.
 10% of commuters have
access to Mass transit travel
services in 2023.
 25% of total city area is
covered by the feeder routes
of mass transit systems in
2023.
 25% of people satisfied with
level of quality of public
transport services.
 30% of people satisfied with
the transportation fares/rates
in 2022.
 Share of renewable energy such as
through biofuels to be 3% in 2030.
 Amount of fossil fuels consumption
to be reduced to 0.75 million tonnes
of oil (ToE) equivalent by 2030.
 Number of electric charging
stations to be increased to 50 by
2028.
 20% of total public transport buses
to be dedicated for women travel by
2028.
 25% of commuters to have access
to Mass transit facilities by 2030.
 40% of total city area to be covered
by feeder routes of mass transit
systems by 2030.
 Atleast 50% of people satisfied with
level of quality of public transport
services by 2028.
 Atleast 50% of people satisfied with
the transportation rates/fared by
2028.
SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY TRANSPORT SYSTEM
FOR LAHORE

THE READINESS ASSESMENT

1. Who is the advocate for the M&E System?
 The Punjab Mass Transit Authority, which is a regulatory body set up
by Government of Punjab to plan, construct, operate and maintain
mass transit systems in major cities of Punjab. The PMA has already
launched the Lahore Metro bus service (MBS) and Orange Line Metro
Rail Transit (OLMRT) that run on dedicated corridors and reduces
travel time and emissions.
 The Provincial transport department of Punjab, has revealed on
numerous occasions that the provincial government is planning to
introduce an environment friendly transport system in Lahore, which
will include electric buses and charging stations.
 The Judiciary of Pakistan, who has taken notice of the worsening
quality of air particularly in winters, due to creation of Smog which
results in creation of various health problems.
 Various independent researchers and civil society groups/activists
who have researched and conducted studies and proposed various
models and frameworks to measure the social, environmental and
economic benefits of introducing alternative fuels and vehicles in
Lahore.

2. What is motivating the champion to support such an effort?

 To advance the economic and social development by providing
services and infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods,
connecting them to jobs, markets, education, etc.
 To reduce the environment impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions
that results in creation of Smog in winters as well air pollution, noise
pollution and resource consumption by promoting low-carbon and
energy efficient modes of transport.
  To improve public health and safety by reducing the traffic accidents,
injuries and fatalities as well as enhancing physical activity and well-
being by encouraging walking and cycling.
 To support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by aligning
with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 11
(Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG
9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

3. Who will own the System?

 The donors or funders of the project who provide the financial and
technical support for its implementation. In this case, the donor or
funder may be Government of Pakistan itself, Provincial Government of
Punjab, or as an external funding agency such as World Bank or Asian
Development Bank, that may champion such an M&E system to
monitor their investment, evaluate its effectiveness and sustainability
and learn from its successes and failures.
 The evaluators or researchers, who are involved in conducting
independent or external assessments of the project. In this case it may
be an external consultant group or a steering committee of various
experts, who may champion such an M&E system to collect reliable
and relevant data, analyze its performance and impact and generate
evidence-based recommendations.

4. Who will benefit from the system?

 The beneficiaries or users of the system could benefit from the
improved quality, efficiency and accessibility of the transport system,
as well as from the reduced environmental impacts, such as
greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise pollution and resource
consumption.
 The donors or funders of the system, who could use the M&E system
to assess the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of their
investment, as well as to learn from the successes and failures of the
project and inform future funding decisions.
  The general public who could benefit from the positive spillover
effects of the project, such as improved public health and safety,
enhanced social and economic development and increased public
awareness and participation in sustainable transport.

5. How much information do they really want?

The possible information needed by the stakeholders/champions are:
 The goals and objectives of the program, such as what it aims to
achieve, why it is important, and how it aligns with the sustainable
development agenda.
 The activities and outputs of the program, such as what it does, how it
does it and what it produces or delivers.
 The outcomes and impacts of the program, such as what changes or
benefits it brings to the beneficiaries and the wider society and
environment.
 The feedback and participation mechanism of the project, such as how
the beneficiaries can provide their opinions, suggestions, complaints or
compliments and how they can be involved or consulted in the project
design, implementation or evaluation.

6. How will the system directly support better resource allocation and the
achievement of program goals?

 Providing evidence-based information on the progress, performance,

and impact of the project, such as the efficiency, effectiveness,
relevance, sustainability, and equity of the transport system.
 Enabling learning and improvement of the project, such as identifying
best practices, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned from the
project implementation and evaluation.
 Enhancing accountability and transparency of the project, such as
demonstrating the results and value for money of the project to the
donors, funders, partners, beneficiaries, and the general public.
  Facilitating decision-making and planning of the project, such as
informing the allocation of resources, adjusting the project strategy,
and scaling up or replicating the project in other contexts.

7. How will the Organization, the Champions, and the Staff React to the
negative information generated by the M&E system?

Negative information generated by an M&E system can be challenging or

discouraging for the organization, champions and staff involved in the project.
However, it can also be an opportunity for learning and improvement. Some
positive ways to react to negative information for improvement of M&E system
are:

 Acknowledge and accept the negative information as valid and

credible, and avoid denial, defensiveness, or blame-shifting.
 Analyze and understand the causes and consequences of the negative
information, and identify the factors that contributed to the poor
performance or impact of the project.
 Communicate and share the negative information with relevant
stakeholders, such as donors, funders, partners, beneficiaries, and the
general public, and explain the reasons and actions taken to address
the issues.
 Learn and adapt from the negative information, and use it to inform
decision-making, planning, and management of the project, such as
revising the project goals, objectives, strategies, activities, indicators,
or budget.
 Seek and apply feedback and recommendations from stakeholders,
such as evaluators, researchers, experts, peers, or beneficiaries, on
how to improve the project design, implementation, or evaluation.

8. Where does capacity exist to support a Results-based M&E system?

The ability to support an M&E system for a sustainable environment friendly

transport system in Lahore can exist in different levels and sectors of the
government, such as:
 The Federal Government level, where the government can provide
the policy framework, strategic direction, and coordination for the M&E
system, as well as allocate adequate resources and incentives for its
implementation and use. For example, the Ministry of External Affairs
of Pakistan's government set up a “Paris Declaration Working Group
on Monitoring and Evaluation”, with the aim of strengthening and
improving the harmonization of government and development partner
M&E practices in Pakistan.
 The Punjab Government level, where the government can facilitate
the alignment and integration of the M&E system with the provincial
development plans and priorities, as well as support the capacity
building and technical assistance for the M&E staff and stakeholders.
For example, the “Punjab Planning and Development Department” has
established a “Monitoring and Evaluation Cell”, which is responsible for
monitoring and evaluating the development projects and programs in
the province.
 The Local Government level, where the government can ensure the
participation and feedback of the beneficiaries and communities in the
M&E system, as well as promote the accountability and transparency
of the project results and impacts. For example, the “Lahore Transport
Company” has developed a “Customer Feedback System”, which
allows the passengers to share their opinions and complaints about the
transport services through various channels, such as SMS, phone
calls, emails, or social media.