‘Plight of women in public buses’

THIS is apropos of Squadron Leader S. Ausaf Hussain’s letter ‘Plight of women in public buses’ (March 30) in which he says that the state of our public transport is an indicator of poor governance.

I agree with the point that women’s section in buses should be enhanced (as seen in the now defunct city buses launched some time back which had much larger sections for both genders).

He said that men upon not finding vacant seats in the back of the bus occupy seats in the women’s compartment where women passengers are left with no choice but to keep standing.

He also stated that men in our country do not know any etiquette while entering the women’s compartment.

First, I would like to say that since the ratio of working men is much greater than that of working women, the seating distribution is, therefore, correct. However, due to overloaded buses some passengers in both compartments have to keep standing while travelling.

Secondly, being a regular bus passenger I have observed that while men do sit in the women’s compartment, as soon as women get on the bus, men leave their seats for them and never argue.

You will never find men occupying seats in the women’s compartment at the same time when women are standing.

The writer also believed that we should get rid of the separate sections reserved for women commuters in buses as there are no separate sections in buses in India and also in other countries of the world.

We should keep in mind that this is not possible in our situation If we get rid of the separate sections in buses, then seats would be occupied on a first-come-first-served basis like in other countries where in the same bus women are found standing in front of seated men and no one offers them a seat while we have separate sections for women as their basic right.

RIAZ AHMED
Karachi

Dawn