Safety concerns: Women commuters demand safe transport

Public transportation taking women no where

ISLAMABAD: The citizens of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have demanded of the government for the provision of safe and standard transportation service for working women and female students between the two cities.

Women commuters have to face multiple issues including the gender-centric attitude of the van drivers and conductors while traveling between the twin cities, they said.

The non-availability of sufficient space in the local vans and minimum seats for women makes it harder to reach the destination on time, Safeena Altaf, a government school teacher said while sharing her traveling issues. "I have to change two public vans daily to reach Murree while Metro bus service is of no use for me. Local vans' pathetic service multiplies our woes", she added.



Sadia Irum, student of a private university said that usually van conductors offer front seat to women so only two female passengers can be accommodated in one van while the rest of the women commuters have to wait for the next van and it is their good luck as well if they found seat in next van. "I prefer online cab service for daily use as it is more convenient and secure but definitely it is not affordable for everyone," Zubaida Baloch, a student, said.



Metro bus service is facilitating people travelling on a particular route, she added. Rafia Durrani another student while sharing her concern said, "Being a student of a university I have to commute between twin cities daily but the typical behaviour of conductors needs counseling sessions from Islamabad Traffic Police."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2018.