Female riders navigate road aggression

Despite the government encouraging female mobility, women riding electric bikes continue to face road harassment

LAHORE:

A quiet shift is underway in Punjab as more women adopt electric scooters and motorcycles for daily travel. Driven by education, work, and mobility needs, their numbers have risen across major cities over the past two and a half years. However, concerns about harassment and women's road safety persist.

According to data obtained by the Express Tribune, in 2024 more than 80,000 complaints were filed by women regarding harassment in public spaces. In 2025, the number rose to around 100,000, while in the first four months of 2026 alone over 25,000 complaints were registered. Around 70 per cent of these were related to stalking and street harassment.

In Lahore, more than 900 serious harassment cases involving female riders were reported in 2025. Around 2,500 additional cases involved women being secretly filmed or targeted through online trolling. The Punjab Virtual Women Police Station handled over 235,000 complaints in 2024, registering more than 26,000 FIRs. In 2025, complaints rose to around 300,000 and FIRs reached about 30,000.

In Lahore, about 90 per cent of female riders report that male drivers deliberately drive or ride close to intimidate them. While women on scooters are now common in Punjab's cities, they still face unsafe road behaviour and hostility. A key issue is psychological competition on the roads, where some male drivers treat being overtaken by a woman as an ego challenge, leading to risky and aggressive driving.

Iqra, a rider, stated that male drivers often react aggressively when overtaken by a woman, turning it into an ego issue and creating unsafe conditions. Traffic Inspector Humaira Rafaqat added that around 80 per cent of women fail driving tests not due to lack of skill, but due to fear of social judgment and ridicule. "While driving skills can be taught, improving driver ethics is a greater challenge," noted Rafaqat.

University student Faiqa Mushtaq, who uses an electric scooty, explained that harassment during riding distracts attention from the road, increasing the risk of accidents. According to Rescue 1122 data, out of approximately 480,000 annual traffic accidents in Punjab, women account for 19.4 per cent of the injured. About 60 per cent of accidents involving female riders are linked to aggressive behaviour by other road users.

Psychologist Professor Dr Tahira Malik noted that women riders operate in a hostile environment where unnecessary honking or close driving affects concentration and decision-making. Authorities have suggested deploying female patrol officers in high-traffic areas for women to improve their confidence and safety.

A traffic police spokesperson stated that patrols are active in markets and busy roads, while Safe City cameras help identify offenders. Women police units are also engaged in complaint handling. Safe City officials reported that over the past two years more than 12,000 street harassment cases have been registered, with around 6,000 suspects arrested and investigations continuing through surveillance systems.