Many female passengers that regularly use the metro buses in Lahore have complained of misbehaviour of male passengers as well as harassment. The male passengers include college and university students as well as working men who enter female compartments to bother/harass women. Unfortunately, other passengers are merely bystanders and do little to help the women. Even when women do complain to platform guards, the guards casually suggest that they are outnumbered by the boys and fail to protect the female passengers.
Most women are compelled to travel via buses as they cannot afford alternative means of transportation. However, this does not mean that they should be subjected to misbehaviour or exploitation. Metro buses are a public good and all passengers should feel safe and secure using them. The relevant authorities should increase the number of guards present at platforms who must remain vigilant and remove such thugs from the platforms. The bus driver and conductors should be instructed to not allow men in women’s compartments on the bus.
Many women have also accused the bus drivers, conductors and other platform staff of being complicit in the harassment. The authorities should enforce strict rules for the metro buses staff and give exemplary punishments to those found guilty. Unfortunately, the harassment or abuse of women is not limited to metro buses alone and there is a need for more widespread measures to protect women in different public domains across the country. One of the foremost measures for the empowerment of Pakistani women is to ensure safe and secure travel conditions for them across the country.
ALI ABBAS
LAHORE
