Thousands of women and children have to commute daily in Dhaka. They go to workplaces and educational institutions. Most of them cannot afford private cars, CNG-driven auto rickshaws or Uber taxi services. Some go by rickshaws. So, many have to go by public buses. These buses are not friendly to women and children at all. Commuting in these dirty, congested and narrow buses is a nightmare. No dedicated passenger-friendly bus stops are there. During rush hours, it becomes hard to catch any bus on time. Misbehaviours by bus staff and male co-passengers are almost everywhere. Unreported sexual and physical harassment are also regular phenomena. Only the double-decker BRTC buses give some comfort to women and children. There are few such buses. Nobody cares about the troubles of these working women and students. How long do we wait to get decent and friendly public buses? Is it an impossible thing to do by the government? We have already seen several steps to improve buses. But, most of those failed due to non-cooperation from bus owners. A criminal syndicate has complete control of the public bus services. The government needs to take stern action in this connection.
Shamapti Yasmin
Karwan Bazar
Dhaka