A woman was injured after jumping from a moving motorcycle to escape alleged harassment by a ride-hailing rider in Lahore's Johar Town, according to police and CCTV footage of the incident. Police said the incident took place on October 17.
The woman had booked a ride from F-2 in Johar Town to Watto Palace when the rider allegedly attempted to behave inappropriately towards her, police said. CCTV footage reportedly shows the woman jumping from the moving motorcycle.
She sustained injuries to her face, nose, throat, and head in the fall. The rider fled the scene after she jumped from his motorcycle.
The woman's brother later lodged a complaint against the rider, leading to the registration of a case, police said. Police have not yet disclosed further details about the suspect's identity or the progress of the investigation.
The incident comes less than a week after another reported harassment incident in the provincial capital's Mozang area. On October 24, police alleged that the suspect blocked her way, knocked her off the scooter, slapped her, and pulled her hair, injuring her face and nose.
The case was registered on a complaint by the woman's father. The Punjab government has also introduced measures aimed at improving passenger safety.
Earlier this month, a QR-code panic button was introduced in 82,000 rickshaws, cabs, and public transport vehicles. The facility allows women to seek emergency assistance in cases of harassment or other threats.
Officials also said a tracking system was being installed in online cabs and that action would be taken against services that failed to adopt the prescribed safety features. Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Lahore Syed Abdul Rahim Shirazi said traffic teams were working at 45 locations across the city to install the QR-code panic buttons.
Teams had also been deployed in every traffic sector, while 12 dedicated teams were assigned to install the buttons in rickshaws, he noted. The CTO said the installation of QR-code panic buttons had been made mandatory to bring public transport within the regulatory framework and improve passenger safety.
Women can scan the QR codes to seek immediate assistance in cases of harassment or other emergencies, he added. The authorities remain committed to ensuring that such incidents are curbed through technological interventions and strict legal enforcement across the city.