Driving empowerment for change: female drivers of pink buses in Karachi
The characteristic pink buses will soon be driven by trained women on Karachi’s streets. At Mehran Depot, the last stage of training for female drivers is now in progress and is scheduled to end on January 15.
Even though gender equality is still a problem in Pakistan, brave women in Karachi are actively trying to close the gap by pursuing careers in non-traditional professions. Previously run by women conductors, the women-only pink buses will now have female drivers as well.
Information reveals that the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, an arm of the state of Sindh, has started training eighteen women on completely electric, fully hybrid, and diesel buses. A variety of abilities and tools, including driving, engine, battery, communication, and safety procedures, are covered in training.
Driving a hybrid bus with confidence, Kiran Iftikhar asserted that nothing is impossible for someone with big goals. She emphasized that women can and will demonstrate their competence to operate a bus. Kiran exhorted other women to leave their houses, get education, and become involved in the workforce.
According to Abdul Shakur, the People’s Bus Service’s operational manager, women who possess driver’s licenses would be able to use the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system during the first phase of the program. The Sindh Mass Transit Authority hopes to expand prospects for diversity by employing transgender people in this field.
Advocate Zakia Sultana, a trainer, instructed female drivers on pertinent laws and accident avoidance techniques. Zakia emphasized that self-assured women from all around Sindh, including graduate students, had taken to driving buses. Zakia also emphasized equality for all citizens and urged transgender people to come forward.
In order to safeguard them, advocate Ahsan Ali emphasized that women drivers had been informed of the regulations pertaining to driving. In order to provide women with legal knowledge in the event of stops or fines, he listed specific sections, such as General Defense, Section 320, Section 8, and Section 279.
The Motorway police performed the first phase of training, which is followed by the second phase in Mehran Depot.
The fact that female conductors and drivers operate pink buses defies prejudices and promotes inclusivity in society as a concrete example of strong, independent women.
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