Bus service for working women

Sadly, working women in Dhaka do not have many dedicated bus services for them. Though there are a few women-only buses, the number is inadequate. At present, more than a million women commute daily for their livelihoods. Most of them have to struggle with men to avail public buses. In these buses, a large number of women have to face sexual harassment frequently.

Nevertheless, there are few steps from the authorities to stop the harassment and punish the culprits. One way to reduce sexual harassment is the women-only bus. Unfortunately, no effective move is there in this regard for an unknown reason. It should not be a big deal or difficult task for the government. The state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) can introduce such buses on different routes. The bus is mostly needed in the morning and evening. One may remember that during the early '80s, BRTC introduced several dedicated women-only buses in Dhaka. Despite being popular, the service was stopped due to non-cooperation from the relevant agencies. Now, it is high time to provide women-only buses to make women's journey hassle-free and safe.

Shamapti Yasmin

Karwan Bazar

Dhaka