<p>More and more women have been riding two-wheelers in Kashmir in the last two years. Not only in the city but even on the outskirts one can see hundreds of women, especially students, riding two-wheelers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The trend picked up in 2010 when Jammu and Kashmir Bank announced its ‘Special Scooty Scheme’. It aimed at helping working women and girl students buy two-wheelers with financial aid of maximum Rs 50,000. This had to be repaid in 60 monthly instalments.While the move became a prized source of revenue for the bank and government, automobile dealers also benefitted, besides women and girl students.<br /><br />For 21-year-old Samreen, a college student, the vehicle has given a sense of liberation from the daily hassle and eve-teasing she faced in using public transport.<br /><br /> “Now I reach college on time and save some energy as well. Travelling in buses was an ordeal as I had to avoid lecherous glance of men,” says Samreen, chuckling. Working women also say the vehicles have given them the much-needed relief.<br /><br />“I am a sales girl in a cosmetics company and the job requires a lot of travel. Buying a Scooty was the best option. Earlier, there were inhibitions due to sexist remarks from male colleagues. But it seems our society has adjusted to the idea of women riding two- wheelers,” says Afiya.<br /><br />Honda dealer JK Stationers and TVS dealer Kashmir Motors, which are owned by a family, have sold over 2,000 two-wheelers in the last two years.<br /><br />“We have sold 2,200 two-wheelers in the last two years. Demand picked up in 2010. Before that selling a two-wheeler to a woman was rare,” says Gowhar Ahmad, sales manager of Kashmir Motors.<br /><br />Mahindra dealer Rahim Motors has sold over 400 two-wheelers since 2010. “Demand is still picking up and we have hundreds of orders this year,” says Umar, a salesman of Rahim Motors.<br /><br />But there is a word of caution from the police. <br /><br />“Several schoolgirls ride two-wheelers without driving licenses and documents. One should be a trained driver first before taking on the wheels,” says Srinagar SP (traffic) Haseeb-u-Rehman.<br /><br />He said it is hard for the traffic police to check documents of drivers. “We don’t have women personnel in the traffic department,” he says.<br /><br />Motor vehicles department chief inspector Abdul Majeed Bhat says only 120 two-wheelers have been registered in the regional transport office from March 2010 to March this year.<br /><br />“Most of the two-wheelers running in the city don’t have proper registration papers,” he says.<br /><br />Most dealers have also started two-wheeler driving schools for women.<br /><br />According to sociologist Bashir Ahmad Dabla, this trend speaks of a new wave of independent women who don’t need somebody to accompany them when they step out.<br /><br />“Earlier, a girl in Kashmir travelling alone in a bus would not be seen in a good light. But that has changed now,” he says.</p>
<p>More and more women have been riding two-wheelers in Kashmir in the last two years. Not only in the city but even on the outskirts one can see hundreds of women, especially students, riding two-wheelers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The trend picked up in 2010 when Jammu and Kashmir Bank announced its ‘Special Scooty Scheme’. It aimed at helping working women and girl students buy two-wheelers with financial aid of maximum Rs 50,000. This had to be repaid in 60 monthly instalments.While the move became a prized source of revenue for the bank and government, automobile dealers also benefitted, besides women and girl students.<br /><br />For 21-year-old Samreen, a college student, the vehicle has given a sense of liberation from the daily hassle and eve-teasing she faced in using public transport.<br /><br /> “Now I reach college on time and save some energy as well. Travelling in buses was an ordeal as I had to avoid lecherous glance of men,” says Samreen, chuckling. Working women also say the vehicles have given them the much-needed relief.<br /><br />“I am a sales girl in a cosmetics company and the job requires a lot of travel. Buying a Scooty was the best option. Earlier, there were inhibitions due to sexist remarks from male colleagues. But it seems our society has adjusted to the idea of women riding two- wheelers,” says Afiya.<br /><br />Honda dealer JK Stationers and TVS dealer Kashmir Motors, which are owned by a family, have sold over 2,000 two-wheelers in the last two years.<br /><br />“We have sold 2,200 two-wheelers in the last two years. Demand picked up in 2010. Before that selling a two-wheeler to a woman was rare,” says Gowhar Ahmad, sales manager of Kashmir Motors.<br /><br />Mahindra dealer Rahim Motors has sold over 400 two-wheelers since 2010. “Demand is still picking up and we have hundreds of orders this year,” says Umar, a salesman of Rahim Motors.<br /><br />But there is a word of caution from the police. <br /><br />“Several schoolgirls ride two-wheelers without driving licenses and documents. One should be a trained driver first before taking on the wheels,” says Srinagar SP (traffic) Haseeb-u-Rehman.<br /><br />He said it is hard for the traffic police to check documents of drivers. “We don’t have women personnel in the traffic department,” he says.<br /><br />Motor vehicles department chief inspector Abdul Majeed Bhat says only 120 two-wheelers have been registered in the regional transport office from March 2010 to March this year.<br /><br />“Most of the two-wheelers running in the city don’t have proper registration papers,” he says.<br /><br />Most dealers have also started two-wheeler driving schools for women.<br /><br />According to sociologist Bashir Ahmad Dabla, this trend speaks of a new wave of independent women who don’t need somebody to accompany them when they step out.<br /><br />“Earlier, a girl in Kashmir travelling alone in a bus would not be seen in a good light. But that has changed now,” he says.</p>
