Life in Metro not safe for women in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Travelling during peak hours on certain routes in Metro train can be nightmare for women. Several incidents of miscreants taking advantage of the huge crowds to indulge in groping, pinching and even molesting have come to notice of late.However, not many complaints have been filed as the victims feel embarrassed to make it an public affair.

Narrating a horrifying experience after boarding a train towards Yelachenahalli from Visvesvaraya Station recently, an employee at the city civil court complex said that she was touched inappropriately by a male passenger.“I could not raise an alarm as it was very embarrassing for me. I informed about this to our higher officials but they did not take it up with the Metro authorities. Some of my colleagues also share similar experiences frequently,” she said.

Another woman passenger of the city civil court, who travels on the same Metro line, said that miscreants in groups also try to create a crowd-like situation only to molest women. “I have had such experience several times. Some miscreants purposefully take a Metro ride during the peak hours. Many women employees working in Cauvery Bhavan, Vikasa Soudha, Vidhana Soudha, MS Building, who board the train at Cubbon Park or Visvesvaraya Station and alight at Vijayangar, Yelachenahalli, Nayandahalli and other stations have shared similar experiences,” she said.

“I take the Metro for commute every day. In the beginning, it was smooth, but since the inauguration of Kempegowda Station, it has become a challenge to travel in the Metro from Cubbon Park to Majestic, especially during evening peak hours. Miscreants try to take advantage and touch us inappropriately. Two of my friends who are regular commuters were molested inside the coach recently. When we objected to their act, the miscreants asked us to take private vehicles instead of Metro,” said another woman passenger.“Hence, I now prefer to travel by BMTC bus or cabs during peak hours,” another women passenger said.

‘CCTVs inside coaches tracked regularly’
When contacted, BMRCL Chief Public Relations Officer U A Vasantha Rao ruled out any such incident. He said that such incidents can’t happen as there are surveillance cameras inside the coach. “We watch footage from CCTV cameras and alert the security personnel if we notice any such behaviour by the passengers. We have not received any complaints of molestation inside coaches so far. Passengers should come forward to complain in such incidents. We are planning to increase the frequency of trains from 4 minutes to 3 minutes during peak hours to avoid rush,” he said.