UP to launch exclusive buses for women commuters
To make public transportation safer for women, the Uttar Pradesh government will soon launch 'Pink' air-conditioned buses.
The Union government's Ministry of Women and Child Development has sanctioned funds for the 50 women-only buses from its Nirbhaya Fund. The staff, including the bus conductors, will be women.
The ministry has mandated the State government to buy the buses and also to purchase and install CCTV cameras in the other 12,500 buses owned by the UPSRTC. Apart from this, the 'Pink' buses will have panic buttons installed for emergencies.
Although a positive step in the direction of women's safety, the fact that the buses are air-conditioned will mean a higher fare, which might deter some from using them. If these women-only buses become a luxury, women are likely to go back to the regular UPSRTC buses.
At this juncture, it is important to mention a similar effort taken by Kerala's State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) earlier this year. In Thiruvananthapuram, the government had started pink buses for women. Talking about the need for the buses to The Hindu, a KSRTC official had said,
“Apart from office-goers, there is huge demand for such a service from sales girls employed in textile shops. Their work ends at around 9 pm, by which time private buses end their trips.”
(with inputs from IANS)
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