GILGIT: Hundreds of women and girls have started using free wheels (pink buses) on four routes in Gilgit-Baltistan.

GB Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani announced that the same service would start in Skardu and within six weeks, it would commence in Hunza and Nagar. On Oct 4, Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid inaugurated the ‘Free Wheels for Women’ initiative in Gilgit.

Under the initiative, a free bus service has been started to provide safety to women while travelling. Four routes have been earmarked in Gilgit where buses will operate at two times (6am to 9am and 1pm to 3pm). Female students, doctors, teachers, lawyers and other professionals will benefit from this initiative. Traffic police has been instructed to facilitate these buses on roads.

Women appreciated the initiative and said that the service will provide facilities and economic benefits to women in the region.

They said low-income women in the region have been facing transportation problems.

Mr Wani said: “We want to improve accessibility of our female citizens by providing free of cost and safe public transport.”

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022