Punjab Removes Down Payments for Student E‑Bike Scheme

Overview

• Punjab’s chief minister ordered the removal of upfront down payments for student beneficiaries and revised the scheme’s financing to increase access.
• The government will cover interest and insurance costs while setting students’ monthly instalments at about Rs3,000.
• The official online application portal is scheduled to open Friday for eligible students to apply for the programme.
• Officials say each bike will include a helmet and safety rod, use lithium iron phosphate batteries, come with free two-day riding training, and be delivered within six weeks of approval.
• The package targets more than 125,000 students as part of a broader 'Year of Youth' agenda and could later be expanded to government workers, delivery riders, and the public while shifting short-term costs onto the provincial budget.