Women Bus Drivers in Karachi Pave the Way for Safer Public Transport

Public transport in Pakistan has long been a challenging space for women—both as passengers and professionals. With only 21% of women in the workforce, among the lowest globally, lack of safe transportation remains a major barrier to employment. However, a bold initiative in Karachi is transforming this narrative.

The First Women Driver Program for Public Transport is training women to take the wheel—literally. From Samaria Khan’s six-hour daily commute to Humera’s pursuit of financial independence as a single mother, these women are breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated field.

Women Driving Change

Samaria, a mother from Hyderabad, travels six hours daily to Karachi to train as a bus driver, determined to provide for her family. Similarly, Humera, another trainee from an underprivileged Karachi neighborhood, is a single mother of three, striving to secure a better future for her children. Huma, balancing a job as a polio worker and a bus hostess, is on her way to obtaining a Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) license. Their stories highlight resilience and the urgent need for more women-friendly public transport options.

Karachi’s Gender Gap in Public Transport

Despite Karachi being Pakistan’s economic hub, only 11% of women in Sindh participated in the workforce in 2021. 80% of women face harassment in public transport, and most options are informal, unsafe, or inaccessible. In Lahore, 75% of women express willingness to work if provided safe transport, yet female ridership in the city’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is only 20%.

To address this, the World Bank-backed Karachi Mobility Project (KMP) BRT Yellow Line (YL) is set to launch by 2026, requiring 650 new bus drivers—offering a major opportunity for women.

A New Era: Women and Transgender Drivers for Karachi’s BRT

The Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), in collaboration with law enforcement and transport authorities, launched a Women Drivers Pilot in 2023. Encouraged by its success, a larger-scale recruitment drive for women and transgender drivers began in November 2024, aiming to make public transport safer and more inclusive.

The initiative also focuses on enhancing bus stations with gender-sensitive features, including:

• Properly located washrooms for men and women
• Well-lit station areas to improve security
• Color-coded signage and emergency helplines
• CCTV surveillance inside buses and stations
• Harassment reporting desks and awareness campaigns

With a minimum target of 30% women drivers, this effort is expected to increase women’s ridership and job accessibility in Karachi.

Lessons from Bogota: The Economic and Social Impact

Pakistan is not alone in this transformation. Bogotá, Colombia, successfully launched an electric bus system operated entirely by women. The initiative led to:

• Lower accident rates
• Reduced traffic fines
• Higher job retention among women drivers
• Safer public transport for female passengers

The Karachi initiative aims for similar long-term benefits, proving that investing in women drivers creates a cycle of economic growth, safety, and inclusivity.

Conclusion

The First Women Driver Program is not just about training women to drive—it’s about empowering them with economic opportunities and ensuring safer transport for all. By reshaping Karachi’s public transport, these women are steering towards a future of equality, safety, and progress.