Careem, the global ride-hailing service, announced on Tuesday its plan to launch a new women-driven motorbike service in Pakistan, which would cater exclusively to its female customers.

As per the company, the latest service will initially commence operations in Karachi and make its way to other cities in Pakistan including Lahore and Islamabad.

Talking to Business Recorder, Nuzair Virani, Senior Communication Manager at Careem, said the timeline regarding commencement of the said service cannot be given at the moment.

“The service could be launched in the coming days, depending upon the response to the program,” he said.

Nuzair shared that the company is currently in the process of acquiring ‘captains’ (a term it uses for its drivers) for the upcoming service.

Careem suspends food-delivery business in Pakistan over unfavourable economic conditions

The service includes two models – part-time (5 hours) and full-time (10 hours) – for which Careem said it would pay a “guaranteed” monthly payment of Rs30,000 and Rs50,000, respectively, the company said in a statement.

In addition, the company said it will waive the commission it charges for female motorbike captains.

Currently, more than 1,700 female captains drive Careem customers across multiple car types on the platform, the company said.

“Careem’s new women-driven motorbike service enables Careem’s large female customer base to access affordable yet safe and reliable transport in an environment of rising inflation, especially everyday office and university goers. It also enables and empowers women in Pakistan to access flexible income-generating options and achieve financial stability as captains,” the ride-hailing app said.

Commenting on the new service, Imran Saleem, General Manager - Ride Hailing at Careem Pakistan, stated, “Women are an integral part of our society and constitute a large number of our overall customer base … this affordable transport is particularly needed during such challenging economic times which have made it harder for families to run households on a single income.”

Careem hits milestone of 1 billion rides with Pakistan clocking in highest contribution

Careem says the new service supports its purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people. “It also supports Careem’s ongoing commitment to empower women in Pakistan.”