Dim streetlights make women feel unsafe in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Women in Bengaluru, replying to a tweet by the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) seeking their response to safety and public transport facilities in the city, said that they feel unsafe, even in residential areas, at night because of dim streetlights.

Some said they are disgusted with men urinating in public and it made them uncomfortable. Some sought better services in buses and Metro, especially when these transport facilities are crowded. Others admitted that their choice of profession and location of work depended on the availability of public and private transport services.

After the tweet by DULT on Tuesday morning, responses came in thick and fast. There were bouquets and brickbats too.DULT had posted: “Since 56 percent of DULT workforce is women, we have been discussing about women representation in workforce and how transport is a determinant solution for women to make work choices or simply even participate in a city.” It ended seeking replies from women.

DULT Commissioner V Manjula told The New Indian Express, “The Twitter post was to get the opinion of people to improve transport facilities and the city at large. It is a first step in seeking public opinion. Gradually, we are also thinking of conducting a household survey.”

DULT has set no time limit for the exercise, while experts at DULT said it was high time such a step was taken. “While everyone talks of gender equality, they should look around and understand the ground reality and see how many women are working with them. The condition of public transport, especially buses, is the most basic facility for women to commute. One needs a hard look at commercial spaces and roads to understand whether they are conducive for working women. The participation of women at workspaces is extremely low in our country. We are trying to gather data to know what are the facilities that exist, what is lacking and what needs to be done,” an expert said.