In Dhaka city, a large number of working women and female students use public bus every day to reach their destinations. Yet, our local buses are not only inadequate in number but also unsafe for women and girls. There are reserved seats for women and a few women-only buses are plying the capital city. But, they are not enough. In most cases, female passengers wait for hours for a bus to arrive during rush hours. And when it appears, it becomes very difficult for the female passengers to get into the bus as their male counterpartscreate a crowd in front of the gate and give them no space.
Even transport workers do not want to pick up female passengers during those busy hours. And if any woman is lucky enough to get onto the bus, they find that the male passengers have grabbed the seats reserved for them. A total of nine seats in every bus are reserved for women, children and the disabled. According to the Section 92(2) of the Road Transport Act, 2018, if any other passenger sits on the reserved seat, then an imprisonment of one month or a fine of Tk 5,000 has to be served. But this law is not followed at all by the transport workers and bus owners.
It is urgent that the issue of mismanagement in our public transport sectoris duly addressed.The number of reserved seats and women-only buses should be increased. There should also be women-friendly vehicles, drivers and staff. Male passengers should also change their mindset. The authorities concerned must take the responsibility of making our public transports safe for women.
NazifaTasnim,
Student of Mass Communication and Journalism
Jagannath University, Dhaka
Ensuring safety of female passengers in public buses
FE Team | Published: August 26, 2023 20:18:44
Ensuring safety of female passengers in public buses
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