ISLAMABAD – Airlift, a ride-hailing startup that connects passengers withbuses on fixed-rate, signed an MoU with the Ministry of Science andTechnology to introduce electric vehicles in the country. The news comesweeks after Airlift raised 12 million in Series A funding. That round wasled by First Round Capital (a venture known for previously funding Uber),Fatima Group and Gobi Partners, and Indus Valley Capital also fundedAirlift again in this round through Fatima Gobi Ventures joint fund.
Under the MoU, the company will be introducing battery-powered buses in thecountry in the coming future. Given the recent smog situation in Lahore andthe climate change affecting the whole country, this initiative is a steptowards introducing sustainable means of transportation that will not onlyhelp our environment but also likely decrease the cost of commute withinthe country.
Currently, Airlift is offering its services in Lahore and Karachi whereasother metropolitan cities will also be targeted soon as part of theirexpansion plan. During their first press conference, Syed Mehr Haider whois the Executive Director of Airlift said:
The company will become pioneers of ‘battery buses’ for Pakistan’s publictransport system. Every Airlift bus on the road is a replacement for tenregular cars.
During the press conference, Minister for Science and Technology FawadChaudhary stated that the government is planning to earn approximately Rs.10 billion through the use of green technology in the coming few years. Hepraised the Airlift team for their idea stating:
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These youngsters have pursued this entrepreneurship idea and have managedto raise funding for it. I always tell young people to focus more onentrepreneurship than seeking jobs.
Airlift provides users with the option to ditch public transport in favorof air-conditioned buses and the idea seems to be quite a hit in the citieswhere Airlift is currently operating, despite on a smaller scale.
