LAHORE: A committee set up by the chief minister decided on Friday to give subsidised locally-manufactured motorcycles to women, who have learnt driving under a Women on Wheels campaign.

Earlier, women were to get imported scooties. The committee, led by Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan, decided to go for motorcycles.

The scheme was launched by the Chief Minister’s Special Unit. The chief minister made the committee to devise procurement and distribution mechanisms of the scheme. The final mechanism will be announced by the chief minister on the Women on Wheels Mega Rally to be held in November.

Up to Rs100 million will be put forth to provide a Rs12,000 to 15,000 subsidy per beneficiary.

The imported scooties, assembled but not manufactured in Pakistan, would not provide after-sale service. These scooties were also costlier than locally manufactured motorbikes, they said. Such matters delayed the execution of the project.

The Women on Wheels campaign, also initiated in collaboration with the city traffic police and district governments, is aimed at providing free motorcycle training to women in Punjab followed by a rally by a pre-specified road.

The campaign serves to empower women by facilitating their mobility and providing them with the confidence to be responsible members of society. Under the campaign, approximately 1,500 women have been trained to ride various motorcycle models, officials say.

The SMU and the transport department will work together to formalise the subsidy scheme.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2016