Female riders face harassment, road intimidation

LAHORE: Women riding electric scooters and motorcycles have become increasingly visible across Punjab’s major cities over the past two and a half years, as more women turn to two-wheelers for education, work and everyday travel. But the rise in female riders has also been accompanied by persistent concerns over harassment, unsafe road behaviour and intimidation.

In 2024, women lodged more than 80,000 complaints related to harassment in public spaces. The number rose to about 100,000 in 2025, while more than 25,000 complaints were registered in the first four months of 2026 alone. Around 70 per cent of those complaints were linked to stalking and street harassment.

In Lahore, more than 900 serious harassment cases involving female riders were reported in 2025, while around 2,500 other incidents involved women being secretly filmed or targeted through online trolling. The Punjab Virtual Women Police Station handled more than 235,000 complaints in 2024 and registered over 26,000 FIRs. In 2025, the number of complaints rose to around 300,000, with about 30,000 FIRs registered.

About 90 per cent of female riders in Lahore say male drivers deliberately move too close to intimidate them. It described a recurring pattern in which some male motorists treat being overtaken by a woman as a challenge to their ego, leading to aggressive and risky behaviour on the roads.

Iqra, a woman rider, said male drivers often become hostile when a woman passes them, creating dangerous conditions. Traffic Inspector Humaira Rafaqat said around 80 per cent of women do not fail driving tests because of poor skill, but because fear of ridicule and social judgment affects their confidence.

"While driving skills can be taught, improving driver ethics is a greater challenge," Rafaqat said, speaking about the broader issue.

University student Faiqa Mushtaq, who uses an electric scooty, said harassment while riding diverts attention from the road and increases the possibility of accidents. Rescue 1122 data shows that out of around 480,000 traffic accidents recorded annually in Punjab, women make up 19.4 per cent of those injured. About 60 per cent of accidents involving female riders were linked to aggressive behaviour by other road users.

Psychologist Professor Dr Tahira Malik said women riders work in a hostile traffic environment where unnecessary honking and close driving can affect concentration and decision-making. Authorities have suggested deploying female patrol officers in busy traffic areas to help improve women’s sense of safety and confidence.

A traffic police spokesperson said patrol teams are active in markets and on busy roads, while Safe City cameras are being used to identify offenders. Women police units are also involved in handling complaints. Safe City officials said that over the past two years, more than 12,000 street harassment cases have been registered, around 6,000 suspects have been arrested, and investigations are continuing with the help of surveillance systems.