Pakistan’s transgender community gets its first ride-share service

Service is only available in Lahore city for now

Pakistan’s transgender community has got its first ride-sharing service in the latest effort to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, the business's founder said on Wednesday.

The ride-share, called SheDrives, was launched over the weekend in the country's cultural capital of Lahore, and will service only trans people and women, according to Ammaz Farooqi, the company's chief executive.

For now, it will service only Lahore, but expansion is possible, Mr Farooqi said.

The trans community welcomed the new ride-share, expressing hope it would help reduce harassment of trans people on the road.

There are an estimated 30,000 trans people in Lahore, and organisations working for their welfare estimate that across Pakistan, the transgender community numbers about 500,000 out of the total population of 240 million.

Trans people are considered outcasts by many, especially in conservative areas of Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country. They are often sexually abused, assaulted and even murdered. They hesitate to enrol in regular schools to avoid discrimination, and when they travel on public buses or trains many are exposed to ridicule, hurtful jokes and other forms of harassment.

Many Pakistani women face similar harassment when travelling alone in bus or train coaches with male passengers.

"A unique aspect of this app and ride service is that the drivers and passengers will be women and transgender persons," Mr Farooqi said.

Pink logos painted on the vehicles would allow women and trans people to recognise them.

Mr Farooqi, who is not trans, said he feels optimistic that the future will be more inclusive for everyone.

"I have taken a small step and we may expand this service to other cities," he said.

Saro Imran, who is trans, praised the launch of the ride service and suggested the government should consider loaning motorcycles and cars to transgender persons and women to help reduce harassment in general.

"Men deliberately touch us when we walk on the streets, or when we travel in public transport," she said.

Samina Khawar, 22, a university student, said she was happy with the launch of the service.

She has been offering rides to the trans community on her "pink bike" for a month now and was recently duped into giving a ride to a man pretending to be trans, which she realised within minutes of the ride.

"It was a terrible experience," she said. "I immediately contacted the police and got him arrested."

Punjab traffic police said it was offering special driving classes to transgender people and women wanting to learn how to drive motorbikes and other vehicles at their driving centres across the eastern Punjab province.

The centres offer trans people equal opportunity "to learn how to drive a motorcycle or a car, and they are treated respectfully," said police spokesperson Mohammad Mubashir.

Pakistan established a hotline in 2022 to connect trans people to police offices and the Ministry of Human Rights. A year before, authorities had opened the country's first government school for transgender students in the central city of Multan.

The parliament drafted a transgender rights bill to enable trans people to choose their gender identity for previously issued government documents, educational certificates and national identity cards.

The proposed law has caused controversy, with hardline clerics opposing it.

Human rights experts say a lot is still to be done to ensure recognition of trans people in society.