700 applicants selected for Women-on-Wheels Campaign

Lahore : The Chief Minister Strategic Reforms Unit has announced the names of the selected applicants to become part of the first phase of the historic Women-on-Wheels (WoW) Subsidised Motorbikes Scheme.

In first phase of the campaign, subsidised motorbikes will be delivered to the selected candidates in May 2018, before Ramazan. The applicants have been selected through a transparent balloting process after the district verifications committees in the five selected districts conducted objective verification of all the documentations provided by the applicants.

In the first phase of the campaign launched by the Chief Minister Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) in collaboration with Transport Department and Bank of Punjab (BoP), 700 motorbikes will be given to the candidates, followed by 1,000 in the second phase and the remaining 1,326 in the last phase.

In a statement, SRU Director General Salman Sufi said the chief minister had yet again delivered the foremost movement for women’s empowerment, Women-on-Wheels, in the country. He said the campaign had prompted a social change for a progressive Punjab where women and men were equal partners in the development.

The WoW Campaign is empowering women to reclaim public spaces and inspires them to become agents of change in the country especially during a time when violence against women in the country dominates national and international headlines.

The deadline for applications scheme ended on March 25. An overwhelming number of applications were received from the districts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan and Rawalpindi. The finalised candidates are being informed by the representatives of the BoP and SRU.

The Punjab government is providing 100 percent of the markup on the motorbikes alongside subsidy worth Rs 24,975. The customised bikes are being offered to the successful applicants. The each motorbike has complete leg guards, a distinct pink colour along with a customised canvas bag and a pink helmet. The Women-on-Wheels Subsidised Motorbikes Scheme marks the second step of the Women-on-Wheels Campaign which started off by providing free motorbike driving training to women. The Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit introduced the initiative in collaboration with the respective city traffic police and district governments in November 2015 to empower women. The campaign has been launched in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Sargodha where it has trained over 3,500 women.

The successful applicants will now complete all required formalities prior to receive the motorbikes. They will then have to submit a monthly installment of Rs 1,856 for 12 months after submission of down payment and motorbike driving licence.

They will be given the motorcycle keys in their respective districts during a series of events as part of a “Women-on-Wheels Mega Rally.” This will entail a series of parallel rallies taking place in all the five districts where the successful applicants will ride the motorbikes in a massive show of solidarity for the cause of women empowerment.