dipchand bihari
post news network
Bhubaneswar, July 20: Molestation of women in buses has become major a concern for residents of the city these days. Women, and members of their families in particular, are worried about their safety during transit.
The recent rape of a woman passenger by a bus conductor and helper at Bansada in Bhadrak has reawakened fears.
Against this backdrop, Orissa POST interacted with female and male passengers in buses and tried to find out what they thought about the issue and what measures they thought would be useful in dealing with such incidents.
“It is a shame that such issues are on the rise these days. The officials concerned must take strong action to prevent them from happening. Policemen must be posted at bus stops every day. And GPS should be installed in buses to keep track of their movement. The state has promised to install CCTV cameras on buses, but it is still only a promise. Many promises made by the government are either not fulfilled or are being delayed inordinately. I suggest the government should fulfil their promises as soon as possible,” Sumitra Satapathy, a passenger, said.
Parameswari, who travels every day by bus from Bhubaneswar to Khurdha, said: “CCTVs must be installed soon in each bus and police officers should be deployed to prevent these incidents. Private bus associations should create woman friendly environment in their buses.”
According to another bus user Priyanka Naik, it must be made mandatory for conductors and helpers in buses to be literate and that they must possess clearance certificates from the police if they are to be considered for employment.
Male passengers, in turn, emphasised the need for precautions. Pranaya Kumar Bagh, who travels in buses regularly, said: “Woman passengers must carry deterrents such as pepper spray. These are now available in the market and must be used if a situation arises. This apart, the government should hold awareness campaigns and teach women ways to ward off abusers. People abusing women should be punished severely so that no one else even thinks of abusing them.”
Roshan Samal, another passenger, said: “I am disappointed with the state government as they have not ensured that CCTV cameras are installed on buses. The government should also look at creating apps that woman can use to seek help from the police. Such initiatives will minimise such cases. The bus association must also consider employing female conductors and helpers. Government buses should also consider such a move.”