Islamabad to Get 30 Pink Electric Buses for Women — CDA Plans Women-Only Service

By Fatima Raza | November 11, 2026

Islamabad is set to get a dedicated pink electric bus service for women, with 30 new pink buses planned for the federal capital. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is working to acquire the buses on the direction of the federal government and the Interior Ministry, and a senior CDA official says the service could start within three months. The buses will be for women only, and they will initially run on the same routes as Islamabad’s existing electric bus service.

This is a new, city-wide service — not an extension of the pink buses already running for schoolgirls. The CDA’s plan is a separate initiative: 30 brand-new electric buses, painted pink, reserved entirely for women commuters across Islamabad. For the thousands of women who rely on public transport every day, and who face overcrowded buses at rush hour, it is the most significant transport announcement for women in the capital this year.

CDA Pink Bus Service for Women at a Glance

How the Pink Buses Will Arrive

The CDA is following the same model it used for Islamabad’s existing electric bus fleet. The civic agency will engage Heavy Industries Taxila to arrange the import of the 30 buses, likely from China, on the same pattern as the 160 buses already running in the capital. Before that can happen, the concerned wing of the CDA has been directed to bring a summary to the CDA board for approval.

“Yes, we have decided to introduce pink bus service as well. We have directed the concerned wing of the CDA to bring a summary for board and after approval of board, we will move forward to engage HIT for importing buses from China,” a senior CDA official told Dawn. The official added that the authority is going to introduce a dedicated bus service for women which will ply on different routes, and that the pink bus service will be introduced as soon as possible, possibly within three months.

That three-month target is ambitious but not unrealistic. The CDA already runs a large electric fleet, so the depots, charging and route planning exist. The main steps are the board approval, the HIT import arrangement and the delivery of the buses from China. Until the board signs off, though, there is no firm launch date — and no fare has been announced yet either.

Why Women in Islamabad Need This

The point of a women-only service is simple: safety and space. The existing electric bus service carries about 150,000 passengers a day across more than 20 routes, and at rush hour the buses are often overcrowded. Women commuters — students, office workers, teachers, hospital staff — have long asked for a service of their own, and the CDA’s decision answers that demand directly.

The new buses will initially operate on the routes already covered by the existing service, so women travelling on the busiest corridors will see the benefit first. New routes can be added later depending on passenger demand. The service is part of a wider expansion of Islamabad’s public transport: the CDA has set a target of increasing daily ridership from 150,000 to 250,000 passengers through better route coverage and facilities.

It is the same direction the city has been moving in for other civic services. Lahore recently received Pakistan’s first electric sweeper truck, as we reported in our story on Pakistan’s first electric sweeper truck in Lahore — electric vehicles are becoming the standard choice for public services, not the exception.

Not the Same as the Student Pink Buses

Readers in Islamabad may already know a pink bus service — and it is important not to confuse the two. The Federal Ministry of Education already runs pink buses for girls and women students, serving nearly 8,000 female students from rural areas with free transport to urban schools under the “No Fare No Barrier” programme. Those buses run on specific school routes, twice a day, for students and teachers.

The CDA’s new service is different in every way that matters. It is run by the capital’s civic authority, not the education ministry. Its 30 buses are new electric vehicles being imported for the purpose. And it is for all women commuters across the city, on the regular public transport routes — not only for students on school runs. Both services share a colour and a goal, but they are separate programmes with separate fleets.

What Happens Next

The immediate next step is the CDA board. Once the summary is approved, the authority will engage HIT and the import process will begin. If the three-month target holds, the first pink buses could be on Islamabad’s roads by early 2027 — but that depends on the board, the import timeline and delivery from China, so treat the timing as a target rather than a promise.

For women who travel by bus in Islamabad, the practical advice is simple: watch for the CDA board’s decision, and then for the route announcement. The buses will start on existing routes, so the busiest corridors — the ones where overcrowding is worst — should be served first. We will update this page when the board approves the summary and when the CDA announces routes and fares. For the latest on transport costs in the meantime, see our petrol price update for November 11, and for the CDA’s other major Islamabad project, our report on the Islamabad Expressway expansion project.

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