Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi officially inaugurated a women‑only public‑transport service in Peshawar on Thursday, unveiling a fleet of pink‑painted buses that will run across the city’s main corridors to offer a safe, affordable and reliable commuting option for female passengers.
The new service is slated to connect densely populated residential neighborhoods with key commercial districts, educational institutions and major hospitals, thereby addressing the long‑standing difficulty many women face in accessing reliable transport for work, study and healthcare. By allocating vehicles exclusively for female riders, the provincial government hopes to remove safety concerns that have traditionally limited women’s mobility and to boost their participation in the labour market and public life.
The launch ceremony was attended by senior provincial officials, local councilors and community leaders, all of whom commended the initiative as a progressive step toward gender‑sensitive urban planning. Speakers highlighted how the pink‑bus scheme complements earlier efforts such as women‑only sections on existing routes and the recent expansion of women‑focused ride‑hailing subsidies.
Operated on a daily schedule, the pink buses will initially serve the most heavily trafficked routes, with the transport department indicating that additional lines will be added if passenger demand warrants. The pilot is part of a broader strategy by the Afridi administration to modernise Peshawar’s transport network while promoting inclusivity, and officials have signalled that successful implementation could inspire similar projects in other Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities.