Punjab government to provide free public transport during Basant festival

The Punjab government on Saturday announced that it would provide free public transport facilities during the upcoming Basant festival as part of a special initiative with the Punjab Mass Transport Authority (PMA) to finalize its scheme.

“As part of Basant celebrations from February 6 to 8, free public transport facilities will be available in Lahore as per the directions of CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. This initiative aims to facilitate citizens, promote safe mobility and ensure smooth movement across the city during the holidays,” Punjab Mass Transport Authority said in a statement.

The move follows the Punjab government’s decision to grant special permission for Basant celebrations from February 6 to 8, restricting the festival exclusively to Lahore under a comprehensive set of legal, administrative and security measures aimed at preventing deaths that had previously led to its ban.

The statement added that from February 6 to 8, commuters will be able to travel for free on the Metro Bus service, Metro Orange Line train, Speedo buses and electric buses across Lahore. The Metro’s Orange Line will offer free rides from Dera Gujran to Ali Town, benefiting about 270,000 passengers daily, officials said.

A total of 64 metro buses will operate between Shahdara and Gajjumata, allowing approximately 150,000 passengers per day to travel free of charge.

For Lahore feeder routes, 188 buses will operate on 21 routes, while under the Punjab Mass Transport Authority, 40 electric buses will provide free services on two routes in the city. In total, around 600,000 passengers are expected to benefit from the free travel service each day.

Meanwhile, Provincial Transport and Mass Transit Minister Bilal Akbar Khan expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and said, “In Basant, citizens will be able to avail free travel facilities without any worry.”

Read more: Basant returns, but not like before.

After years of silence in the winter skies of Lahore, Basant will return, cautiously and strictly regulated, as the Punjab government prepares to revive a festival that was once synonymous with colour, rooftops and spring renewal, but was long overshadowed by tragedy and controversy.

Traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the month of Magh in late January or early February, Basant marks the arrival of spring and has historically been celebrated throughout Punjab, including India and among Punjabi diaspora communities, with kite flying at the center of the festivities.

However, in Pakistan’s Punjab, the festival acquired a darker reputation in the early 2000s, when celebratory gunshots, glass-covered ropes, metal cables and rooftop accidents led to numerous deaths, leading authorities to impose a blanket ban in 2007.

Also read: Punjab bans kites with religious and political images ahead of Basant

This year’s resurgence follows the enactment of the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, which formally reopened Basant’s gates while imposing unprecedented restrictions on all aspects of the festival, from kite dimensions and string material to sound systems and rooftop access.

According to the official notifications issued by the Lahore district administration on the instructions of CM Maryam, kite flying will be allowed only within the limits of Lahore district and only during the designated three days, while enforcement in other parts of Punjab will remain absolute.

The rules impose a complete ban on nylon, plastic, chemical-coated and glass threads, wires and metal spools, allowing only cotton threads wound into round “auricle” shapes, each of which carries a QR code to ensure traceability and regulatory oversight.

Strict limits have also been imposed on the size of kites, with ‘patang’ and ‘guda’ dimensions clearly defined, and violations are punishable under the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance, which carries imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to Rs 2 million.