Exclusive transport for working women

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Women Development has prepared a proposal to start a bus service exclusively for working women in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Initially to be implemented on a small scale, the project will be launched in other cities as well depending on its success, explained Yasmeen Rehman, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Women Development.

The bus service will be available to women during peak hours in the morning and evening. However, the bus will provide services to the general public during the rest of the day.

Their maintenance will be carried out either by a private company or by Capital Development Authority
(CDA) or Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Yasmeen Rehman said the ministry is currently finalising the proposal draft which will  be forwarded to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani within a week.

Rehman added that women face numerous problems everyday because of the absence of satisfactory public transport.

“It is one of the prime responsibilities of the government to provide safe transportation to women in the country, who are already facing many challenges,” she said.

In the past, the government has made commitments several times to improve and provide public transport to the federal capital but nothing substantial has been done.  With the city’s expanding population, the shortage of public transport is also becoming an inconvenience.

Men often have 20 to 22 seats reserved in a Hiace van but for women, there are only
two seats reserved in front, which are usually taken up by men too.

Nazish Zulfiqar, a salesgirl, expressed concern over the absence of transport for women. “Every day, getting a van in the morning and reaching the shop on time is no doubt a challenge for me,” she said.

Shela Hussain, a young professional, said that a few months ago, she was harassed by the conductor of a Hiace van, and now she is hesitant to travel in vans alone.

“I was commuting from Rawalpindi, to Sector F-6 in Islamabad. The conductor kept staring at me and tried to touch me while opening the door
for other female commuters,” she said.

There are some families who do not allow their daughters, sisters and wives to work because of poor transport facilities.

Ramzan Sajid, official spokesman, CDA, said the authority is aware that transport facilities are inadequate in the capital, especially for women.

“Therefore, to overcome the transport problem, the CDA plans to launch an air-conditioned bus service by the end of this year. In these buses, there will be a section reserved for females, with more seats reserved for them than in other public transport vehicles,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2010.