Lucknow :
After earning accolades for the introduction of the 1090 Women Powerline in the state, the UP Government seems to have its eyes set on making UP women-friendly . Come May and Lucknow, along with five other cities in the state, are going to see the introduction of an exclusive intra-city bus service for the fairer sex. Tentatively called Sakhi, the buses would ply on the city roads just like the regular ones, but would cater exclusively to the ladies.
“We are aware that women face a lot of hassles while commuting in the city . Keeping this in mind, we have decided to launch an intra-city bus service exclusively for women. In a month’s time, Lucknow, along with Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra and Mathura would have their own bus service for the women. There are similar services running in many Indian cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and other cities down South,” says Mukesh Meshram, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.
He adds, “The State Government has set up a Dedicated Urban Transportation Fund, which has a kitty of Rs 225 crore per annum. This money will be utilised for the procurement of new buses and improvement of infrastructure. The buses will be equipped with a vehicle tracking system, GPS and CCTV cameras. The conductor would also be a lady , but the driver, for the time being at least, would be a male. We were hoping to find female drivers, but we are yet to find them. The search is still on,” says Meshram.
The UPSRTC launched a similar service on February 27 called the Pink Express. However, that service is inter-city , with the all-ladies luxury bus, equipped with WiFi, CCTV cameras and GPS, plying between Lucknow and Ghaziabad.Initially started as a weekly service, the Pink Express is now set to operate daily between Lucknow and NCR from April 1.
`WON’T MIND USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT NOW’: Young female students of the city , who were till now wary of travelling in public transport in Lucknow, let alone buses, are all praises for the introduction of an allladies bus service in the city . Says Nandini Singh, a second-year English Literature student at Amity University , “I generally avoid using public transport in Lucknow. To commute to college too, I use a private van, or sometimes ask my father to drop me. Basically , I’m not very comfortable with the idea of travelling in public buses or auto rickshaws. But yes, with the introduction of such a service, I won’t mind travelling in it.”
For Hitisha Goel, a student of Lucknow University , public transport wasn’t even a choice, but she feels that the allwomen bus service initiative will have more women opening up to the idea of using public transport. “I would normally not use buses or autos, but with a service like this, obviously there is a sense of security that will come in. I won’t mind sitting in a bus like this now,” says Hitisha.
`FINALLY A SAFE ALTERNATIVE’: For city women, no mode of public transport is 100 percent secure. But a service catering to just the ladies would definitely change things to a large extent. “I live in a hostel, so I have no option but to use public transport. Till now, I was using auto rickshaws because they’re relatively safer than buses. Only twice have I travelled in a bus in the city . But whether I’m in an auto or a bus, I have to cover my face with a dupatta all the time. Men just stare at you or in worse cases, even grope. So a facility like this is a blessing in disguise. I will definitely skip the autos and use this,” says Vatsala Pushpender, a thirdyear dentistry student at BBD University .
“People think that travelling on a rickshaw is safer than travelling in a bus, but I’ve experienced eve-teasing on a cycle rickshaw too. So in those terms, this bus service will definitely solve the purpose.But I just hope that they maintain a certain standard of hygiene in the buses, something which is absent in public transport,” says Anupriya Agarwal, an entrepreneur in her twenties.
`NO HAGGLING WITH THE AUTOWALLAHS’:Anurita Sinha, a third year English Honours student at Lucknow University , feels that the service will not only be safe, but also easy on the pocket. “I normally commute using auto rickshaws. This all-women’s bus service is definitely a brilliant idea. Obviously they will be much safer and cheap too, which autos in the city aren’t. The autowallahs charge an arbitrary amount and don’t go by the meter. I don’t travel by bus just coz of the safety factor, even though it’s extremely cheap. This service will really ease things out,” says Anurita.
Sadaf Zaidi, a first year student at Lucknow University, is also thrilled that there’ll be finally some respite from the autos. “So to say, the autos are private, but the drivers stuff so many people in one auto. In buses, even though there are specific seats reserved for ladies, men sit there and refuse to budge. So this will be a great relief,” says Sadaf.
`HOPE THEY MAINTAIN THE FREQUENCY’: Apurva Tewari, an engineer in her twenties, hopes that the service will have a high frequency for it be feasible. “I remember a similar service starting in Lucknow a couple of years ago, but since the frequency was very less, it was stopped.But the buses were always full. I hope this time they initiate the service with a high frequency of buses which have a fixed timetable. It’ll really reinstate my faith in public transport in Lucknow,” says Apurva, who has to turn towards auto rickshaws when using public transport. She adds, “Autos turn out to be very expensive, so it’s going to be feasible on that front too.”
“I hope these buses will ply at night also. That way , the problem of us travelling alone at night will be solved. It will instil a sense of security among girls,” shares Garima Singh, a second year Arts student at IT College.
source:http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Saloni Tandon, TNN / March 30th, 2015