Thousands of women applied for driving licences under Sindh’s free scooty initiative, panel told

KARACHI: Thousands of women have applied for driving licences under the Sindh government’s free scooty initiative, reflecting a significant shift toward greater mobility and independence among female citizens, the Sindh Assembly was told on Friday.

Senior Sindh Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that earlier only 150 women across Sindh possessed motorcycle driving licences, while applications have now reached 15,000. He said women holding valid licences will be provided free electric scooties under the provincial government’s initiative, calling it a practical step toward women empowerment.

Responding to written and supplementary questions during the Transport Department’s question hour, Memon said the entire motor vehicle system in Sindh has been fully computerised, and no vehicle is now allowed to operate without a computerised fitness certificate. He added that automated systems have replaced manual processes to ensure transparency, proper record-keeping and public convenience.

The senior minister said large-scale action was taken against unfit vehicles during 2025. According to official data, 2,935 dumpers, 2,138 oil tankers, 183 tractors, 13,918 trailers, 30,917 trucks and 6,109 water tankers were challaned. Overall, action was taken against 56,200 vehicles and fines amounting to Rs821.68 million were recovered.

He said clear instructions have been issued to Health Department ambulances regarding the use of sirens and emergency lights, explaining that sirens are permitted only while picking up patients and during transport to hospitals.

Memon informed the House that the procurement of new buses is under way, with some units already present at the port, while approval has been granted for the purchase of an additional 500 buses. Providing improved transport facilities to citizens across Sindh, he said, remains a top priority of the provincial government.

Briefing the Assembly on Karachi’s traffic management, he said the DIG Traffic issues directives regarding traffic signals, while implementation lies with the Transport Department. He added that 12 new traffic signals have been installed at Model Colony, Gulberg, Tahir Villas, Comprehensive School, Tipu Sultan Road, Guru Mandir, Mochi Mor, Kamran Chowrangi, Munawar Chowrangi, Steel Town, Township Crossing and Madaris Chowk Sparco Road. Work is also in progress on the Traffic Smart System and Smart City projects, with some signals operating automatically and others manually as required.

He described the free shuttle service as an effective government initiative, explaining that bus terminals have been shifted outside the city to ease congestion in Saddar and adjoining areas. Free shuttle buses now transport passengers to the Karachi Bus Terminal, with the service provided by transporters at no cost to the government.

The senior minister said that previously fake route permits were common, but the entire system has now been automated. Route permits are issued by the Provincial Transport Authority and Regional Transport Authorities, and unfit vehicles are taken into custody until declared roadworthy.

Highlighting mass transit initiatives, Sharjeel said projects such as the Red Line and Yellow Line are being pursued seriously, adding that in these schemes, 95 percent of expenditure is allocated to infrastructure and 5 percent to buses. He said around 200,000 passengers travel daily on Sindh government buses, while Green Line ridership has increased from 50,000 to between 80,000 and 85,000 per day. The Orange Line and Green Line have been integrated to prevent double fare charges.

He also referred to Pakistan’s first EV bus service and the women-only Pink Bus Service, noting that these initiatives received positive international media coverage and are part of long-term planning. Pink buses are also operating on BRT routes, encouraging greater female participation in public transport.

Memon said buses and double-decker buses have been equipped with facilities for persons with disabilities, while modern inspection services are available round the clock at the Karachi Bus Terminal. He added that traffic issues caused by U-turns at Sohrab Goth have been resolved and directed officials to eliminate illegal bus terminals in Larkana.

He said multiple mega development projects are under way in Karachi under KMC and local government departments, and the Sindh government is addressing road and infrastructure issues across the province, with a dedicated budget allocated by the chief minister for Karachi’s development.

In the following proceedings, the assembly referred the Provincial Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill and the Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, presented by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, to the relevant standing committees.

During the proceedings, the House unanimously passed the Higher Technical Education and Research School Bill and the Institute of Teachers Education Bill. Earlier, the standing committee’s report on the Higher Technical Education Bill was laid before the Assembly. Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar informed the House that the standing committee had already approved the bill. The committee’s report was presented by Dr Sikandar Shoro.

Subsequently, the Sindh Assembly session was adjourned until Monday, February 9, at 2:00 pm.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution allowing the provincial assembly hall to be used as the venue for the Commonwealth Conference. The resolution was moved by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker of the Sindh Assembly Syed Awais Qadir Shah said that the Sindh Assembly would be hosting the Commonwealth Conference after 14 years. He stated that the entire Sindh Assembly would serve as host for the global event and stressed the need to demonstrate commitment to democratic values. The Speaker urged all members to actively participate in the conference.

He informed the House that the Commonwealth Conference would be held at the Assembly building on February 4. Earlier, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, while moving the resolution, said that permission was required to convert the assembly into a conference hall due to the hosting of an international conference. The House unanimously approved the resolution.

Later, Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly, Ali Khurshidi said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) would no longer protest in the assembly after the provincial government accepted its demand to form a judicial commission to probe the Gul Plaza tragedy.

Addressing a press conference at the Sindh Assembly media gallery, Khurshidi said that more than 80 people lost their lives and billions of rupees worth of property was destroyed in the Gul Plaza incident. He described Karachi as a city suffering from a severe lack of basic facilities, poor law and order, inadequate transport, and recurring fatalities due to open manholes and dumpers.

He said MQM had consistently raised questions over governance and had demanded an impartial inquiry immediately after the tragedy. However, he added, the initial investigation was conducted by the same authorities allegedly responsible for the incident.

He noted that the government’s investigative committee report, made public a day earlier, itself recommended the formation of a judicial commission — a demand MQM had made from the outset, for which it was accused of politicising the issue.

The opposition leader said the Sindh government has now written to the Sindh High Court for the formation of a judicial commission, following which MQM has decided to end its protest inside the assembly.

Expressing regret, Khurshidi said that Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf did not support MQM during the protest over the Gul Plaza tragedy. He maintained that MQM fought the case of the public and ultimately succeeded.

He also termed the silence of the federal government on the incident as troubling, saying Karachi continues to be ignored at the federal level. He questioned why all fire fighting institutions are not under the administrative control of the Karachi mayor.

The opposition leader pointed out that the government’s investigative report did not name any individual as responsible for the tragedy. He said he was present at the site and that the fire brigade did not have water, a fact also mentioned in the official report.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026