Coimbatore bus drivers told not to talk to women seated next to them

CHENNAI: Government bus drivers in the Coimbatore region are baffled by a new and weird rule. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore, has instructed its drivers not to chat with women seated next to them.
Following complaints that drivers tend to get distracted because of such small talk, a circular was on January 19 issued warning drivers that departmental action will be initiated against those who violate the rule.
“All it takes is a fraction of a second (for an accident). So, it is better to avoid such ‘unnecessary’ distractions,” said a senior TNSTC official, requesting anonymity.
M Radhakrishnan of Inaiyum Kaigal workers’ union in Coimbatore said there have been instances when drivers didn’t halt at stops though conductors had repeatedly asked them to. “Some remain so engrossed in conversation that they resume driving without ascertaining whether passengers are boarding or alighting,” he said.
Drivers, on the other hand, said such chit-chat, regardless of gender, came as a much-needed break. TNSTC driver D R Ramesh said that earlier a similar rule was introduced barring conductors from occupying front seats. Subsequently, it was repealed after night-duty drivers complained that they found it difficult with no one to talk to. “If talking to women is their problem, let them change the seating pattern,” he said.
Unlike in Chennai, Coimbatore local buses have a different seating arrangement. While male passengers mostly occupy the last six or seven rows of the vehicle, women occupy the front half of bus. So, if women don’t find seats, they tend to sit on the bonnet next to the driver.
A few people sitting on the bonnet is a common sight in most buses in the Coimbatore region, particularly those plying along Avinashi Road which is dotted with many women’s colleges, textile factories and of late professional workspaces.
A new trouble for TNSTC is that women passengers are either forced to stand near bus entrances in dangerous positions or skip overcrowded buses and wait longer for the next bus.
“If the government is so concerned about our safety and comfort, they should operate more buses, particularly air-conditioned buses with more seats,” said M Divya, who works at BR Puram Industrial Estate. Coimbatore has only eight air-conditioned buses.