Punjab government to provide free public transport during Basant festival

The Punjab government on Saturday announced that it will provide free public transport during the upcoming Basant festival, as part of a special initiative with the Punjab Masstransit Authority (PMA) finalizing its plan.

“As part of the Basant celebrations from February 6 to 8, free public transport will be available in Lahore as per the instructions of CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. This initiative aims to make life easier for citizens, promote safe mobility and ensure smooth movement across the city during the festive days,” the Punjab Public 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 as part of a comprehensive set of legal, administrative and security measures aimed at avoiding the deaths that had previously prompted its ban.

The statement added that from February 6 to 8, commuters will be able to travel free of charge on Metro Bus Service, Orange Line Metro, Speedo Buses and Electric Buses across Lahore. The metro’s Orange Line will provide free travel from Dera Gujran to Ali Town, benefiting around 270,000 passengers per day, authorities said.

A total of 64 metrobuses will operate between Shahdara and Gajjumata, allowing around 150,000 passengers per day to travel for free.

For the serving routes of Lahore, 188 buses will operate on 21 routes, while under the management of the Punjab Mass Transit 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 free travel every day.

Meanwhile, Provincial Transport and Public Transport Minister Bilal Akbar Khan expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made and said, “In Basant, citizens will be able to avail free travel facilities without any hassle.

Learn more: Basant returns, but not like before

After years of silence in the winter skies of Lahore, Basant is poised to return, carefully and tightly regulated, as the Punjab government prepares to revive a festival once synonymous with color, rooftops and spring renewal, but long overshadowed by tragedy and controversy.

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

In Punjab, Pakistan, however, the festival gained a darker reputation in the early 2000s, as celebratory gunfire, glass-covered ropes, metal wires and rooftop accidents left many dead, prompting authorities to impose a blanket ban in 2007.

Read also: Punjab bans kites with religious and political images ahead of Basant

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

As per the official notifications issued by the Lahore district administration on the instructions of CM Maryam, kite flying will be permitted only within the limits of Lahore district and only during the designated three days, with enforcement elsewhere in Punjab remaining absolute.

The rules impose a total ban on nylon, plastic, chemical-coated and glass twine, metal wire and spools, allowing only cotton twine wound into the shape of a round “flag”, each with a QR code to ensure traceability and regulatory oversight.

Strict limits were also imposed on the size of kites, with ‘patang’ and ‘guda’ dimensions clearly defined, and violations punishable under the Punjab Kite Flying Ordinance, punishable by jail terms of up to five years and fines of up to Rs 2 million.