Lahore woman jumps off moving bike to escape alleged harassment

LAHORE: A woman travelling on an online bike-hailing service in Lahore allegedly jumped off the moving motorcycle to escape harassment by the rider, sustaining injuries, according to a police report.

The incident took place in Johar Town on October 17, and CCTV footage has emerged showing the woman jumping off the motorcycle.

A case was registered at Nawab Town police station on the complaint of the woman’s brother. The first information report (FIR) details the alleged harassment and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to the FIR, the woman had booked a ride through an online bike-hailing service from Johar Town. The complaint alleges that the rider harassed her during the journey, prompting her to jump off the moving motorcycle to escape.

The fall left the woman with injuries to her face, nose, throat and head, the FIR stated.

A spokesperson for the deputy inspector general (DIG) of operations said the suspect fled the scene after the incident but was subsequently arrested by police.

Punjab introduces transport safety measures

The incident comes as the Punjab government introduces measures to improve passenger safety on public transport following reports of harassment involving women in Lahore.

QR code-based panic buttons have been introduced in 82,000 rickshaws, taxis and public transport vehicles to enable women to seek immediate assistance in cases of harassment or other emergencies.

Authorities are also installing tracking systems in online cab services. Officials have said action will be taken against services that fail to provide the prescribed safety features.

Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said traffic teams were working at 45 locations across the city to install QR code-based panic buttons.

He said teams had been deployed in every traffic sector, while 12 dedicated teams had been assigned to install the devices in rickshaws.

Shirazi said installing QR code-based panic buttons had been made mandatory to bring public transport services within the regulatory framework and improve passenger safety.

According to officials, women will be able to scan the QR code displayed on a vehicle to request immediate assistance in cases of harassment or other emergencies.