Changes in public transportation for women

In Bangladesh, transportation has become quite a big problem for women. They face a lot of difficulties while commuting between home and workplace, college, university etc. It does not look decent for women to run and compete with men to occupy a seat or just stand inside a crowded bus. Women sometimes are injured while getting into public transports because of this rush.

A separate public transportation system for women has improved the scenario a little in recent times.

Dolonchapa, a private commercial bus service, has launched bus service only for women. This runs between Abdullahpur and Motijheel of Dhaka. This bus service has been specially designed for women to protect them from sexual harassment and other sufferings they usually face inside public buses.

'Shuttle' is another app which is based on pick-and-drop service for women. It is aimed at ensuring security for women commuters so that they can reach their workplace and return home comfortably.

It takes time to change the whole system and adjust with it. These initiatives taken for ensuring safety for female commuters have brought about noticeable changes.

Afifa Rahman

East West University

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