The Role of Pink Bus Services in Promoting Women's Mobility: Empirical Evidence from Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Fear and security are the predominant factors that often restrict physical mobility among women. In Pakistani male-dominant culture, women possess different mobility barriers related to privacy, safety, and security. The women-only bus service, known as Pink Bus, is one of the gendered transport initiatives to facilitate secure travel. The study aims to analyse women's perceptions of this service and its role in promoting mobility. The data was collected from a sample of 180 women riding in pink and regular public buses. SPSS was used to analyse the data. Statistics revealed that the pink bus service has failed to meet the users' needs due to its limited availability. Findings further suggest that although this initiative has significantly enhanced security perceptions during the bus ride, there is a need to ensure women's safety while accessing this bus service. The study highlights the importance of safety perceptions in promoting independent mobility among women in Pakistan.