THE Sindh Government has taken a lead in launching the nation’s first ever women-only bus service called pink bus service. This service in Karachi would be an addition to the People’s Bus Service of the Sindh government already operational in the provincial capital and Hyderabad.
Commuters, especially women, were facing great hardships on an almost daily basis and launching the pink bus service would go a long way in ensuring ease of travel for them. Decent and exclusive transport for working women and girl students was a longstanding demand of Karachiites and introduction of pink service means they would now be saved from harassment at public places.
The service has been launched on the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who wanted improvement in public transport and provision of decent and comfortable transport facilities for women. The Central President of Pakistan People’s Party’s women’s wing, Faryal Talpur, has also taken a keen interest in starting a bus service for women in Sindh.
The dedicated service for women is initially available from Model Colony to Tower via Shahra-i-Faisal where eight buses would run after every 20 minutes during peak morning and evening hours and one hour during day time. However, the Sindh Government has effective plans to introduce this service in the entire city of the Quaid and in other cities of the province to facilitate women commuters. Appointment of female hostesses and plan to induct women drivers would mean more employment opportunities for women and a friendly atmosphere for travellers.
In a related development, under instructions of the Provincial Information and Transport Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon, People’s Bus Service is being extended to Sukkur while it would be run on four more routes in Karachi. As work on BRT Red Line is in progress and work on Yellow Line project is going to start soon, the transport sector in the province, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad, is rapidly getting modernized for the sake of the people.
