Female bikers becoming a common sight

For a city as big and bustling as Karachi, the lack of an efficient mass transit system has meant graver mobility restrictions for women and gender minorities. Whether it be limited seats in a junky wagon, safety concerns in dark alleys or the skyrocketing fares of private cabs and rickshaws, daily commuting still proves to be an uphill battle for 50 per cent of the city’s population.

In these troubling times, a number of women found riding two-wheelers to be the most affordable yet manageable means of commuting.

“Bikes, unlike big, clunky buses, zip through the shahrah e faisal traffic,” said 23-year old liberal arts student Nida, who has recently switched to using the private motorcycle-hailing service called Bykea to navigate the city.

Though the student recalls, there have been times that her motorcycle drivers have been startled to see her and some have even denied service to her for being a woman, “but the good thing about Bykea is that, no matter what time of the day, you can easily find another ride in a jiffy, anywhere in the city.”

According to the student, she often catches wayward glances from friends, colleagues and onlookers, but she plans to invest in her own scooter soon. “Despite all the eyes on me, it’s quite liberating to be able to navigate the city on my own terms, at quarter the price of a four-wheeled cab,” she told.

Where Nida dreams of having her own scooter one day, Zubaida Naz, a young girl from the Liaqatabad area, has already made the leap of faith after being let down by the city’s dilapidated public transport system. “The buses would always be packed to the brim and using rickshaws or taxis daily wasn’t cost-effective,” said Naz, who works as an administration person at a private firm. “I also tried hiring a private Suzuki with a few other girls. We all worked at different organisations and would get home really late everyday, which bothered my parents a lot,” she added.

Read More: Women, female students told not to sit in front of public transport in Mansehra

Eventually, Naz brought the issue up in a conversation with her father one day, who suggested getting a scooter and learning to ride it. “I was a little hesitant at first, but eventually got the hang of it, upon encouragement from my parents. It took me about a month to learn to ride it, but now I can finally go about the city at my own will and even take my mother wherever she wants,” she told with a hint of pride and a fleeting smile.

Although women on motorcycles, is fast becoming a common sight in the metropolitan city, it is still rare enough to make heads turn and invite second glances.

For Rani Begum, a Christian woman who works as a housemaid in the city’s Federal B Area, this has meant donning an abaya while riding her two-wheeler. “Our society is not one where women can ride motorcycles freely as yet, but we still have to do our job and make a living, and for that we are constantly finding ways and workarounds,” she commented.

Similarly, Nighat Begum, who is a housewife and a mother of two, said that she had to pull out her husband’s dusty, old motorcycle from the garage when it became too difficult for him to manage the household alone. “I drop my children to school everyday on my motorcycle, and also run all the errands on my way. It’s so much more convenient, but some mothers still stare at me in some kind of amazement,” she told. “I get questions like how do you ride a motorbike? Are you not afraid? Motorcycles are for men! However, I am not afraid of these questions of women but I convince them that they too can ride motorcycles. I have convinced one or two women and they will soon learn to ride a motorcycle too!” shared the housewife.

Speaking in the regard, social leader and activist Syeda Ahmed said riding your own motorbike is a cost-effective commute option in many metropolitan cities, especially for middle income individuals and youngsters who cannot afford to invest in cars and cabs. “The federal and Sindh governments should start a scheme to provide easy access to motorcycles for women and girls so that they can commute easily, while services of an institute should be provided to train them to ride the two-wheelers,” she told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2021.