“Beyond fear and Obstacles, A New Empowering Service launched for Female Students & Teachers”
Pakistan’s Ministry of Education and Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) introduced the initiative of Pink Bus Service in Islamabad. This Pink Bus Service have been launched on 7 August aiming to facilitate the female students and teachers by providing transportation in working hours. This service is launched with the slogan of “Na Dar, Na Rukawat” meaning (No Fear, No Obstacle) ensuring the easy and safe transportation and travel oppurtunity for females.
Pink buses service offers free of charge, reliable and safe services that will connect the rural and urban areas with schools all across Islamabad also including Taxila, Rawat, Peer Wadai and other added destinations for convenience of female students and teachers. Safe transportation and convenience problem were acting as major obstacles for the girls in getting education. This Pink Bus service will provide a safer and harassment proof environment for females to get education even from far flung rural areas without any fear.
The project will address the issue of shortage of buses facing by the educational institutions. Total 20 pink buses will be on route to provide services around designated locations in Islamabad, Rawat, Taxila including secretariate as a stop for convenience of female students and teachers. These busses will run on the school working timings from 6:00 AM morning to 4:00 PM evening and approximately 8,000 to 10,000 female students and teachers are estimated to be benefited by this Pink Buss Project.
The high fares and fear of harassment in public buses, especially in rural areas, have restricted many girls from getting education. With this initiative many girls will be able to reach their schools free of cost and safely. Pink Buss Initiatives were previously launched in Karachi and Gilgit-Baltistan. In Karachi the focus of pink buss was not limited to only female students but in Gilgit-Baltistan 3 busses were dedicated for female from all professions to get facilitations from this woman only buss initiative operational in Gilgit and Skardu city and planning to expand it in other cities and rural areas. The Pink Buss Initiative launched in Islamabad is unique because it has included the Taxila, Rawat and other far flung rural areas to facilitate the students and teachers coming from these areas to access this free of cost women only bus service for reaching their educational institutes with complete safety and reliable transportation.