Iranian women get green light to bike
Wednesday, October 05, 2005 - ©2005 IranMania.com
LONDON, October 5 (IranMania) - After a quarter of a century of being denied the pleasure of riding a motorbike, Iranian women appear to have been given the green light to straddle a two-wheeler and cruise away solo, AFP reported.
"It is not an offence for women to ride motorbikes and they can apply, just like men, for a driving license and ride while respecting Islamic values," Mohsen Ansari, the chief of Iran's traffic police, was quoted as saying by the Khorassan daily.
Going solo on a motorcycle has been off limits since the 1979 Islamic revolution given that wind resistance encountered by the rider could negate the efficiency of an Islamic dress code designed to hide bodily curves.
Iranian women are allowed to drive cars, riding bicycles has been tolerated since the 1990's and women are also allowed to ride pillion on a motorbike.
The latest sign of further change, however, could prove to be a false alarm.
In 2002, thousands of women lined up for free motorcycle lessons offered by a manufacturer, but the classes were quickly called off due to apparent opposition from authorities.
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