Due to the social and cultural constraints, bike riding for women is not common in Pakistan; however, understanding the significance of bike riding, Punjab Government started “Women on Wheels” program in 2016 to facilitate and encourage female travelers to drive bikes.
During the launch of the program, the government highlighted gender-based violence and problems being faced by the women folk while traveling. However, due to the poor planning on the part of the authorities, this project badly failed to attract women in Rawalpindi.
Initially, the “Women on Wheels” program was launched in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sargodha and Rawalpindi districts. In the first phase of the program, women from different walks of life were imparted motorbike riding training in each district. In the second phase, it was decided to provide motorbikes to those women who were imparted training. However, in a major blow to the success of the project, only 19% of the trained women in Rawalpindi submitted applications for obtaining bikes.
Muhammad Irfan, the focal person for “Women on Wheels” program at City Traffic Police, said that 144 women were imparted training in October 2016 and 20 more women were trained in 2018. “City traffic police trains 166 women from different walks of life including students, working women, and housewives on Honda 125 and Honda CD Dream motorbikes,” he added.
The spokesperson claimed that during the training period, none of the participating women have ever complained of any difficulty while riding a motorbike; however, he continued, after receiving such a small number of applicants for the second phase, the training participants women were contacted to learn about issues that are keeping them away from riding motorbike. They apprised us that they were of the view that the government would provide them with the scooties instead of the motorbike, he said. “That’s why even after getting training of motorbike riding we did not submit applications for the motorcycles, motorbikes are not suitable for women in our society”, Irfan said while quoting the women.
Salma Kanwal Shah, coordinator of students’ affairs at a private university in Islamabad, lauded the Punjab government’s initiative and said it is a reality that women face several problems while traveling in public transport. However, she lambasted the idea of providing women with motorcycles for riding and said women across the globe drive scooties which are more comfortable.
Focal person for the program in Rawalpindi, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Sara Hayat told that only 31 applications were received for obtaining motorcycles, whereas, some of the applications were incomplete. “After completion of the verification process, these applications will be sent to Lahore for the issuance of bikes through the draw,” she added.
Hayat maintained there might be several social constraints in the way of women to participate in this program. “Sometimes women, especially students want to drive the motorbike, but their families did not permit them,” she asserted. “Social responsibility and realizing the significance of the program to women independent while traveling will ensure the success of the initiative,” Hayat argued.
Punjab government will provide around one thousand motorbikes which are specially designed for the women and market price of these bikes is almost Rs 78000. The government will pay Rs25000 in subsidy on each bike, and it will be available for the applicants at subsidizing the price of Rs50000, sources informed.
While expressing views regarding the program, senior journalist Shakeela Jalil said most of the students and working women are not enough financially strong to afford a motorbike worth Rs 50 thousand. Initially, women were thinking that these bikes will be provided free of cost, but later when they learned about application fee and price, they lost their interest in this program. “Personally, I think this is not a serious problem for the women to drive either scooty or a motorbike”, she added.
According to the report of an international organization working for the rights of labors ILO, millions of women in Pakistan use buses and wagons for transportation. Shortage of suitable and respectable transportation facility is the main the hurdle for women to work outside home, the report stated.
Lubna Imran, the student of a private university says, “I’m sure that these 31 women who applied for the motorbike will never be seen on the roads in Rawalpindi even after getting the bikes. “Same like other programs these bikes will be used by the women’s brothers, husbands, fathers or sons,” she worried. She argued that in order to resolve the transport issue of women, the government should provide scooties on easy terms and condition instead of the motorcycle.
Earlier, in 2014 Pink Transport Service was launched to provide respectable and reasonable transportation facility for women in Rawalpindi. This transport service was initiated by public-private partnerships and was primarily financed by Zong and Al-Abrar Associate, a total of 12 wagons were run, divided into two routes: One began from Kohinoor Mills to Soan Bus Terminal, while the second route was from Saddar to Pakistan Secretariat.
Pink transport service was the first and unique of its kind and was appreciated by people from all walks of life, however, according to media reports, the bus service was stopped when the main investors pulled out their funding and the bus service wasn’t able to sustain itself. The Rawalpindi Transport Authority wasn’t even able to arrange alternative funding nor did it have funds itself to keep it running.