The Sindh government has formally decided to expand its flagship Pink EV Scooter Scheme beyond Karachi to all districts of the province, with distribution ceremonies for Sukkur and Hyderabad announced as the next immediate step. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the Transport and Mass Transit Department chaired by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on April 14, 2026 — the same meeting that approved a new Peoples Bus Service route — underscoring the government’s accelerating push to build an integrated women-centred public transport ecosystem across Sindh.
The government plans to distribute pink scooters to women in Sukkur and Hyderabad, with ceremonies to be held soon as part of efforts to improve mobility for women. The meeting further approved the purchase of electric, hybrid and double-decker buses in the next fiscal year to expand the transport network across Sindh, including Karachi.
In addition to the new route, the government plans to introduce pink scooters for women in Sukkur and Hyderabad to enhance mobility and independence. Ceremonies for distribution are expected to take place soon.
The expansion takes the scheme — which has so far operated primarily in Karachi — into Sindh’s second and third largest cities and signals a phased rollout to eventually cover all districts of the province. The Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), which implements the scheme under the Transport and Mass Transit Department, is already accepting applications from women across all Sindh districts through its online portal.
The Free Pink EV Scooter Scheme was officially launched on June 10, 2025 by the Sindh government. It is implemented by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority and provides free electric scooters to eligible women through a transparent computerised balloting system.
Eligibility criteria:
- Permanent resident of Sindh with valid domicile and PRC
- Female student (enrolled in a recognised institution) or working woman (employed in public or private sector)
- Possess a valid motorcycle or car driving licence — or a learner’s permit (training provided to convert to full licence)
- Aged 18 or older
- Priority given to widows, single mothers, BISP-registered applicants
Conditions of receipt:
- Recipient must sign a legal affidavit committing not to sell, rent, or sublet the scooter for a minimum of seven years
- Violation can lead to recovery of the scooter
What recipients receive:
- A free pink electric scooter (supplied by OKLA, the Sindh government’s EV manufacturing partner)
- Free riding training conducted by SMTA
- Road safety workshops
- Maintenance guidance for electric scooters
While 150 women initially obtained licences for Pink EV scooters, more than 20,000 applications have since been received, with training being provided to participants.The 133:1 ratio of applications to initial licenced recipients illustrates both the scale of unmet women’s mobility needs in Sindh and the political momentum behind the scheme.
The first wave of distribution reportedly gave about 200 free pink electric scooters to women, while the plan, as approved by the cabinet, envisioned distributing up to 1,000 scooters to women.The provincial expansion now implies that the 1,000-scooter cabinet approval will need to be revisited upward to serve the demand pipeline in Sukkur, Hyderabad, and other districts.
| Phase | Date | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme announced | April 2025 | Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon press conference, Karachi |
| Phase 1 distribution | September 2025 | ~200 scooters distributed, Karachi |
| Phase 2 announced | November 4, 2025 | Memon confirmed expansion, urged licence registration |
| Phase 2 Karachi launch | December 10, 2025 | Meeting chaired by Memon; Phase 2 formally started |
| International Women’s Day distribution | March 8, 2026 | Ceremony held in Karachi |
| Provincial expansion announced | April 14, 2026 | Sukkur + Hyderabad ceremonies confirmed |
The Pink Scooty Scheme enters its second phase with SMTA now expanding the program beyond Karachi to Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Shaheed Benazirabad. The goal is to support women’s independence and mobility across Sindh.
The Government of Sindh launched the Pink EV Scooty Scheme to distribute free electric scooters to women across the province, led by the Transport and Mass Transit Department and implemented by the Sindh Mass Transit Authority, aiming to improve mobility and promote independence for female students and working professionals.
Sindh’s public transport network — particularly outside Karachi — is chronically under-resourced, overcrowded, and in many districts effectively non-existent for women who cannot travel in mixed-gender environments. The electric scooter model directly addresses this gap: it provides personal, independent transport that women control themselves, at zero operating cost (no petrol), with no daily fare burden. For a working woman spending Rs 200–500 per day on auto-rickshaws, a free electric scooter eliminates a significant portion of household transport expenditure immediately.
The Sindh government’s decision to go with electric vehicles instead of petrol bikes was not just a sustainability initiative — it is a commercial decision that tilts the decision in favour of optimal benefit to the end user in the longer run, while also benefiting the province. OKLA, the EV manufacturing partner, noted that the large-scale purchase of scooters creates demand for charging infrastructure, maintenance training, and local assembly capacity.
The scooter scheme sits within Sindh’s wider “pink” transport programme that now spans three distinct services:
Pink Bus Service (launched 2023): Women-only buses operated entirely by female drivers and conductors across Karachi — Pakistan’s first such service.
Pink EV Scooter Scheme (launched June 2025): Free electric scooters for eligible female students and working women.
Pink Taxi Service (in development): Women-driven taxis in planning stage; announced alongside the scooter scheme in April 2025.
The government continues to expand its transport initiatives, including the Pink Bus service and the introduction of electric buses, which have received international attention. The EV taxi and related initiatives aim to increase women’s participation in economic activities.
How to Apply
Applications for the Sindh Pink EV Scooter Scheme 2026 are accepted through the official SMTA portal at smta.gos.pk/ev-scooty. Applicants must submit their CNIC or B-Form, Sindh domicile certificate, and supporting proof of student enrolment or employment. Selection is conducted through a transparent computerised ballot system. Women with a learner’s permit are eligible to apply but must complete SMTA’s free training and obtain a full licence before receiving their scooter.
The SMTA cautions that the official application process is entirely free — any person or agent charging fees for application facilitation is operating fraudulently.