Women on Wheels: 120 women start driving training in Multan

RPO says they will soon seek applications for the next round of training

MULTAN: A batch of 120 women on Sunday started motorcycle driving training under the Women on Wheels programme of the provincial government.

Speaking to the media, Multan RPO Sultan Azam Taimoori said initially 120 women were selected for the training. He said they would soon seek more applications for training. He said those interested in participating in future training programmes should visit the RPO’s office with a copy of their computerised national identity card (CNIC) to register with the programme.

The RPO said the initiative had been taken to eliminate gender discrimination in public spaces. He said female wardens would administer the training programme. “Women tend to drive with great caution. The trainers will help them boost their confidence before they can drive motorcycle on crowded roads,”

Multan DCO Nadir Chatta said the scheme would facilitate women to be more productive in their lives. It will help them reduce their reliance on male relatives. He urged the public to be respectful of women drivers. He said those caught harassing them would face action. “Women comprise half of the country’s population. All of us need to play our role for their development,” he said.

The DCO said women could gain more autonomy by learning how to drive motorcycles.

An inauguration ceremony for the training had been held on Saturday. It was attended by SMU Senior Member Salman Sufi, Multan DCO Nadir Chatta, CTO Muhammad Shareef and MNA Abdul Gaffar Dogar. The scheme has been launched as a collaborative effort of the Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit, the district administration and the traffic police.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2016.