Software engineers Sheena and Mythili took an autorickshaw from Jeevan Bimanagar to their offices in Doddanekundi a few weeks ago. Stuck in traffic, the driver started to get restless and when Ms. Sheena asked him to stop at her office, he did not. “He kept driving ahead, and only stopped because a vehicle came in front of him. He started the vehicle before I could get off and I almost fell,” she told The Hindu .
The ordeal did not end here. When her friend got off a few hundred metres ahead, the driver refused to return the change and abused her. When another bystander came to Ms. Mythili’s help, the driver flung the money at her and sped off.
Such instances are not few and far between— almost every other day one hears reports of autorickshaw or cab drivers misbehaving with women passengers. So much that there is a list of precautions women consider when taking a cab or auto at night— take a picture of the driver’s ID plate, call up an acquaintance within the driver’s earshot, and increasingly, with the help of mobile applications send a friend a link to track their route.
And for the vast majority who take the BMTC buses, they often face issues with unhelpful and rude staff. “A conductor once screamed at me because I had boarded the bus at the traffic signal before the last stop and tried to force me to get off in the middle of the road. I stood my ground and got off at the next stop … no one came to help,” said Jayashree, a resident of Ashok Nagar. Another issue that passengers who take BMTC buses find is that although there are seats designated for women, these are often occupied by men.
“I travel from Rajajinagar to Bilekahalli (Bannerghatta Road) with a stopover at Majestic. Often, seats that are marked for women are occupied by men. Sometimes if I ask one of the men to stand up, they will ask me to ask someone sitting on the next seat instead,” said Parina Dhilla, who works with a startup.
(Names of people have been changed on request)
Making travel safer
While the availability of Namma Metro has helped passengers to an extent, some issues need to be ironed out, such as the lack of coaches designated for women and poor last mile connectivity.
Although Namma Metro recently started priority seating, few passengers seem to be aware of it. A quick trip on the metro reveals that men often occupy these seats, having missed the small label at the top. There are no announcements to make commuters aware either. “It is a matter of mindset … sometimes you will find men sitting even when women with children or senior citizens are standing,” said a commuter. BMRCL hopes that as word spreads, more people will adopt the system. “We do not want to force the system on commuters … we believe that they will follow it once the word spreads and it becomes a practice,” said U.A. Vasanth Rao, BMRC, General Manager.
Another issue faced by many women is that since the Metro closes at 10 p.m., their only option after that is to book a cab or an autorickshaw. The lack of last mile connectivity makes travel unsafe for women. “Those who don’t have their own vehicles parked are stranded at the stations and forced to pay exorbitant rates to autorickshaw drivers. Some stations are on isolated stretches. “For someone who has to travel to C.V. Raman Nagar, there is no means of travel after getting off at Baiyapanahalli station,” said a media professional.
People's speak
A friend (female) and I tried to book a cab from an interior part near Gubbalala Lake on the evening of Ganesh Chaturthi. We tried to book a cab and after one refused to turn up, we finally got a share taxi after half-an-hour. There were two other men in the cab. It is difficult to ensure safety when the only option available is to share a cab.
- Sowjanya, a resident of Murugeshpalya
Me and another girl couldn’t make it to the metro station by 10 p.m. We stood at the area outside the Mysore Road Station … auto drivers and drag racers kept making comments at us. Every cab we booked would get confirmed, but the driver would call back and cancel the booking. We must have booked four cabs but none turned up. Finally a friend’s parents offered to drop us.
- Pooja, a resident of Indiranagar
Expert’s speak
We carried out a survey on safety perception among women in the city and found that the condition of bus stops, location and ease of boarding and alighting at bus stops were important factors contributing to the perception of safety.
- Ashish Verma, Associate Faculty Centre for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning, IISc.
Social media
Looking at Uber stories I don’t think it is too safe for women to travel in cabs in the city. Metro should be extended. Women can avoid cab and autos that way. @mahadev_patole
Women safety is our main concern, we want many lady police @DBaradiya
Better management of public transportation can go a long way for safety of women and children in Bengaluru. @heta2792
Public transportations are too crowded and not safe, especially for women and children. @aditikaps
