Pink Shuttle – Banu Bus

Afghanistan, Kabul. 2019-2021. Direct beneficiaries: 330 women. About 2,000 people (family members of the women involved in the project) benefited indirectly from the activities.

Even before the return of the Taliban regime, most women in Afghanistan were banned from using motorbikes and bicycles or buses and taxis with men on board. In order to promote the independence of Afghan women - and give them the opportunity to move to reach medical facilities, schools, universities and workplaces - NOVE came up with the Pink Shuttle - Women's Bus (Banu Bus in Dari) in 2018, which was Afghanistan's only all-female transport service.

The Pink Shuttle trained the first 14 professional female drivers in Kabul. It offered free rides to hundreds of women and provided transport for disabled female athletes with the Banu Bus Social Service that started in 2020.

In 2021, the project moved the first steps to become a sustainable business with the co-participation of the drivers and the introduction of price-regulated tickets. When the regime changed, NOVE suspended the service to avoid risks to passengers and drivers. The Taliban's bans on women have so far prevented the service from resuming. At the change of regime, NOVE suspended the service to avoid risks to female passengers and drivers. The bans imposed by the Taliban on women have so far prevented it from being reactivated.