Lahore, MAY 10: The Lahore High Court has stopped the Punjab government from distributing electric bikes among students of the province until Monday.
The court’s directive to suspend the distribution of electric bikes extends until Monday, and it has sought comprehensive details of the project.
The court made these observations during the hearing of a case related to the elimination of smog in the province.
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The LHC has made the lucky draw of electric bikes contingent upon further court orders and has requested for detailed information from the Punjab government regarding the scope and implementation of the initiative.
The court has asked for a detailed report from the government on how many electronic bikes were being distributed in which cities.
Expressing apprehensions about the potential misuse of electric bikes, Justice Shahid Karim stressed that students should be encouraged to use public transport. He emphasized the importance of ensuring student safety and said if they were given e-bikes, they would resort to one-wheeling.
The judge also raised concerns regarding the possibility of male students gathering outside girls’ colleges if they were given these bikes. He said that instead of giving e-bikes to students, colleges should be provided with electronic buses. This shift in focus towards public transport aims to promote safer and more sustainable mobility options for students across Punjab.
Moreover, the court ordered to de-seal the cafés in Lahore’s Johar Town area after they submitted an affidavit. It also instructed the LDA counsel that if there were further violations, there would be fines of Rs1 million each.
The judge reiterated that cafes were allowed to remain open till 11pm and till midnight on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
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The court also expressed displeasure over the installation of colourful lights on Canal Road, admonishing that if plants were planted instead of lights, they would have been beneficial for the environment also.
Justice Karim said public money was being wasted by installing these strange lights. He also sought details of the amount of money spent on the lights from the PHA counsel.
Moreover, a member of the judicial commission told the court that 2,000 kilogrammes less chicken than before had started to be supplied at the Tollinton Market in Lahore following court orders.
