Motorbike subsidy scheme for women launched

LAHORE : The Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) has launched its much-awaited programme “Women on Wheels: Motorbike Subsidy Scheme”, as Phase 2 of its Women-on-Wheels project.

The campaign has been launched in collaboration with the Transport Department and Bank of Punjab. The campaign aims to provide women in Punjab more than 3,000 customised motorbikes at subsidised rates through a 100pc transparent balloting process.

SRU introduced the Women-on-Wheels initiative in collaboration with the respective City Traffic Police and District Governments in November 2015 to empower women through provision of free motorcycle trainings. The campaign has been launched in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Sargodha where it has trained over 3,000 women and continues to train further candidates.

To avail subsidised motorbikes, eligible women must be between the age of 18-40, must possess a valid learner’s licence or actual licence and must be domiciled in Punjab.

The candidate must also be either is employed/own a business or be studying or permanently residing in any of the following five districts (for the campaign’s first phase): Lahore, Multan, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.

Any candidate, who is serving as an employee/business-owner, or student or permanent resident of any district besides these, will not be eligible for the pilot project.

Moreover, the applicant’s income should not exceed Rs 30,000 and in case she is a student, her guardian or household’s monthly income should not exceed Rs 30,000.

The government will be providing equity subsidy of Rs 24,975 and 100pc markup on the motorbike. An applicant will make down payment worth of Rs 27,000 and payment in 12 easy installments of Rs 1,856 monthly.

The motorbikes will be customised pink, CD-70 Dream Motorbikes with additional features including leg guards and a carrier bag. Women interested in availing the trainings can visit any of SRU & Punjab Traffic Police training centres.

To announce successful candidates, the chief minister will conduct the balloting process, himself, to be broadcasted live.

The successful applicants are expected to attain a valid licence to avail motorbikes consequent to the balloting. These candidates will then participate in Women-on-Wheels Mega Rally to proclaim a powerful statement by the Punjab Chief Minister that women have equitable, free and safe access to public spaces.

The aim of the Women-on-Wheels campaign is to promote mobility of women in Punjab and empower them to be independent individuals who can participate in decision making processes on their own and exercise their agency freely.

Training centres inspected: To inspect the status of workshops and laboratories and quality of the practical training being imparted to the trainees under the current phase of Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme, executive director, National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema Saturday visited various training institutes of Lahore.

The director also visited government institutes including Government Institute of Emerging Technologies, Wise College of Education and Gulf Trade Test & Training Centre.

The director inspected the workshops and laboratories of institutes and inquired the trainees and instructors about the quality of training. He advised the students to focus on the training to secure jobs both at local and international market.

Zulfiqar Cheema said good training environment, healthy and positive activities play an important role in character and personality development of the trainees.

He said: “NAVTTC will teach useful and beneficial skills to the youth to eradicate poverty and unemployment in Pakistan.”