Increase the number of women-only buses

Many working women have to use public transport every day in Dhaka. Yet, our public transports are not only inadequate but also unsafe for women and female students. There are reserved seats for women in local buses and a few women-only buses are plying the city roads. But they are not enough. Neither the vehicles nor their staff members are friendly towards female passengers. According to a survey conducted by the Aachol Foundation, more than 63 per cent of women face various types of harassment, including sexual harassment, when they travel in public transports in the capital city. This figure sheds light on the known, but less discussed, issue in the life of women in Dhaka city. Their daily commuting often becomes a nightmare as most of them cannot get on a bus easily. They are often harassed by men surrounding them. They face abuse from public transport staff as well.

Each bus is supposed to have a total of nine seats allocated for women passengers, but they often find men occupying those seats. In an effort to improve the situation, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) launched a special bus service for women years ago, with 17 vehicles dedicated for them in the capital. This service has ensured a relatively safe and harassment-free ride for working women. But the women-only service operates only in the morning and evening on 13 routes. It has never been able to meet the requirements of commuters because most women do not know about this service, its route and schedule. Currently, only six such buses are operating across Dhaka city, which is quite inadequate for women passengers. So, we urge the authorities concerned to increase the number of women-only buses in the city.

Shah Bilia Zulfikar,

Student of Law and Justice,

Jatiya Kabi Kazi

Nazrul Islam University,

Mymensingh,

shahbilia2003@gmail.com