Ensure Designated Seats for Women on Public Transport

Dear Sir,

Women’s suffering on public transport has become an everyday reality. From Dhaka to districts and upazilas across the country, women face discomfort and insecurity because of overcrowding, pushing and cramped seating. Students, elderly women and working women often have no choice but to use buses, while middle- and lower-income women cannot afford more expensive transport. Although designated seats exist for women and persons with disabilities, men often occupy them.

A practical solution would be to increase designated seats for women on every bus and ensure regular monitoring. This could improve safety, reduce pushing and overcrowding, and make public transport more comfortable for students, sick people and elderly passengers. Kolkata and Delhi have separate seats or compartments for women, while BRTC buses also provide some designated seats, though they remain limited.

Therefore, the authorities and bus owners’ associations should take prompt action to expand and properly monitor such arrangements in the public interest.