Punjab sees surge in women riders amid safety, harassment concerns

LAHORE: A new trend is emerging in Punjab with women increasingly resorting to using electric scooters and motorcycles for their travels. Being driven by education, job needs, and personal reasons, their population has increased in big cities in the last two and a half years. Nonetheless, there are issues of harassment and road safety of women which are still under question.

As per source, the total complaints made by women regarding harassment in 2024 amounted to more than 80,000. The next year, the number increased to almost 100,000, and for just four months in 2026, the complaints were over 25,000. Among them, stalking and street harassment accounted for 70 per cent.

As per source, there have been more than 900 cases of harassment involving women riding bikes reported in Lahore in 2025. Around 2,500 additional complaints involve female victims being filmed and trolled on social media.

The Punjab Virtual Women Police Station received more than 235,000 complaints, out of which around 26,000 were FIRs in 2024. Last year, the number of complaints increased to around 300,000, and FIRs went up to 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 scooter, 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 to improve women's confidence and safety.