Humaira Motala
KARACHI: Imagine a 35-year-old woman in a densely populated, middle-class area of Karachi learning to ride a scooty for the first time. Within a month, she’s dropping her kids at school, getting to work, and running errands – without waiting for anyone. That’s not just mobility. That’s power.
Learning to ride breaks dependence on others for transport. Women save time, gain control over their schedules, and stop adjusting plans around who can give them a ride. It’s the difference between asking and deciding.
Balancing a scooty, handling traffic, navigating alone – it builds real confidence. Women who ride often report feeling more assertive at work and at home. Once you’ve mastered the road, other fears start to feel smaller.
Empowering Women on Wheels: Training and Traffic Reform
In our society, negative narratives about police officials spread quickly. The good work gets overlooked because it doesn’t grab headlines. But some people are quietly doing important work that deserves to be known.
DIG Pir Mohammad Shah is one of them. While he has drawn attention in recent months for introducing e-challans and enforcing lane discipline on Shahrah-e-Faisal, few know that just a month and a half ago he opened free driving facilities at Saeedabad – with free scooty training for women as the centerpiece.
Pir Mohammed Shah facilitates Scooty and motor cycle training for women as a first step toward economic and educational empowerment. According to DIG Traffic, his basic vision to offer free bike riding facility was to open doors for ladies and expand economic and educational opportunities. For DIG Traffic, the vision is simple: open doors for women and expand their economic and educational opportunities. “For many women, especially in semi-urban areas, riding opens access to jobs, markets, and education that were too far before,” he said. “A scooty turns a 2-hour bus commute into a 20-minute ride. That changes what’s possible,” he explained.
He told TFD team that the response has been overwhelming. Since the Saeedabad center has opened, hundreds of applications have come in – from low-income neighborhoods nearby and, unexpectedly, from the corporate sector. “For working women in offices or any other place, scooty riding is increasingly seen as a practical, cost-effective way to commute independently and avoid transport delays,” DIG Traffic Shah said. The demand, he noted, shows the need for more small, community-level training setups across Karachi. “Apart from training, we also assist them in getting license after they complete their training,” he further added
Training Setup in Saeedabad:
DIG Traffic, Pir Mohammad Shah runs a large training setup with female instructors who teach young girls and working women how to ride scooties. They teach with great patience and in a very professional way. With support from female instructors and reform efforts by officers like DIG Traffic, women are gaining mobility, independence, and a safer road culture.
The Saeedabad center runs with the full command of a driving institute. SP Khalid Jameel, Principal of the Traffic Institute/Sindh Police Driving Institute, said the idea was initiated by DIG Pir Mohammad Shah. “What started as a pilot has now grown into a full setup, with day-to-day supervision by a DSP and an Inspector-level officer,” he explained. “The training team consists of three main female instructors supported by staff, ensuring learners get technical guidance in a women-only environment.”
It’s been less than two months since civilian training has begun free of cost. Dozens of women of all ages have already been trained, and applications keep pouring in.
When asked that Saeedabad lies on the outskirts, far from Karachi’s city hub, SP Khalid Jameel responded that the center served surrounding neighborhoods where mobility training was otherwise limited. “We’re seeing strong participation from women and girls from low-income backgrounds – exactly the group that benefits most from affordable, independent transport.”
“This is the vision of DIG Pir Mohammad Shah,” SP Jameel added – to spread a network of scooty training centers across Karachi through small, local setups. “The idea is not one large central institute, but compact centers where women can learn close to home, without travel barriers or family objections tied to distance.” Saeedabad is now the working model for citywide expansion.
Beyond the main setup, DIG Traffic Shah has also created a small setup: Bike/scooty and motorcycle training centre at Garden Headquarters by DIG Traffic where police force females and professionals can come to learn scooty riding in a safe and comfortable space.
Support from the Traffic Department:
DIG Pir Mohammad Shah believes a society’s culture is reflected in how people behave on the road. His effort was getting support from the top hierarchy. As DIG Traffic Department, he informed that he has taken many positive steps, including stricter challans. His biggest goal was to bring more safety to the public. Known as a disciplined officer who has worked in every section of the force, he’s now using his experience to strengthen a traffic section long neglected by the department itself.
Training Beyond the Handlebars
SP Khalid Jameel stressed that training goes beyond handling the accelerator. “We teach the trainees the complete knowledge of traffic rules and regulations,” he said. “We explain what mistakes can lead to accidents, how to read road signs, how to judge safe distances, and how to ride defensively in traffic.”
Trainees also learn vehicle features – how to check brakes, mirrors, lights, and tires, and how to handle basic maintenance. “The goal is to produce riders who are not just confident, but responsible and road-aware,” he said.
Female Instructors and the Training Process:
Master Transport Officer at DIG Traffic office, Sabir Hussain, who oversees vehicle maintenance across Karachi, said the instructional team was built by shortlisting professional female riders. Ms. Ambereen Neelum was selected on merit to lead instruction at Garden HQ.
Mr. Hussain emphasized the center’s role beyond public training. “The initial ladies motorcycle squad was trained from here,” he noted. “So far, we have trained more than 250 motorcycle and scooty riders within the police force.” Equipping women officers with riding skills, he said, ensures independence and saves time on duty.
Ms. Ambereen Neelum has led 14-15 batches for the force and rode as pilot in the 14 August rally also. She said the hardest part wasn’t teaching mechanics – it’s breaking through fear and social resistance. “Many families don’t allow their daughters or wives to learn. They think it’s unsafe or not appropriate. So we get students who come quietly, sometimes against their family’s wishes, because they want to learn anyway. That takes courage.”
She credits DIG Pir Mohammad Shah’s personal interest for opening the facility beyond the police force. “Instructors focus as much on building self-belief as on teaching balance and braking,” she said. “Watching someone go from terrified of the accelerator to riding on her own for the first time – that’s the most fulfilling part. When a woman realizes she doesn’t have to wait for someone to drop her, that she can go to college, work, or run an errand on her own terms, it changes something in her. And that change stays.”
To make learning less intimidating, the center created a small practice area in a garden where women, girls, and professionals can ride away from traffic and judgment. Ms. Ambereen Neelum emphasized that they use bicycles and motorcycles for training, alongside scooties.
Sharing her experience, she informed us that “One student wasn’t allowed to learn at first. Weeks later, her brother bought an electric scooter to save on fuel, but didn’t know how to use it. She ended up guiding him through the controls. That moment showed her family what the training had given her: confidence and real, practical skill”, she proudly asserted.
While talking to the participants who were getting training from the centre, one student said, “Learning to ride a bike has been a life-changing experience for me. It boosted my confidence, gave me more freedom, and made my daily commute easier.” Another girl noted, “The training was very helpful and helped me overcome my fear. I believe more women should learn this skill because it empowers them and opens up new opportunities.”
Breaking the Stereotype: The “girls don’t ride bikes” mindset persists in many places. When women learn, they challenge it. Daughters see their mothers riding. Friends ask for lessons. One rider creates five more.
Safety gear, training, and supportive communities matter. Many NGOs and riding groups now offer women-only lessons, making it easier to start without judgment. Promoting this good work helps build a safer, more respectful road culture for everyone.
What I learnt during the entire process of preparation for this feature is: Empowerment doesn’t always come in big speeches, sometimes a small step opens up many venues of change. “Sometimes it comes with a helmet, a key, and the decision to twist the throttle. When women ride, they don’t just move faster. They move forward.”
