KL Report
SRINAGAR
As the posters still remain glued on public busses across city that ‘first 8 seats are reserved for ladies,’ there seem to be no takers of the order that was issued by the traffic authorities some two years back.
Talking to a local news agency, KNS, several citizens expressed serious concern that the order issued earlier by the traffic authorities is not being complied with by general public and that the reserved seats for ladies in public busses still remains a distant dream.
Dilshada, (name changed) said that the eve teasing in the public busses have become the norm in the city and that the seats reserved for ladies, in public buses, are not being provided due to which the women folk go through the tremendous hardships during their travel.
“We ask them (males), when seated, for the seats that according to S.P traffic are reserved for us but they never show any concern,” said Naseema Akhtar, who works in bank.
The SP Traffic Haseeb-ur-Rahman when contacted by KNS said that the order issued earlier by the traffic department has not received any positive response and that his department has worked hard to make the seats reserved for ladies in public busses across city.
He further stated that a local NGO raised the issue with the traffic department and it launched the awareness campaign in various schools and colleges. “After such a long time, there has been no response from the people. The society has not supported the initiative and we see the men fight with the ladies and never give them the seats that actually are reserved for them only.”
The SP traffic further stated that the women are reluctant in making complaints before the police and that the department cannot act until a complaint is lodged.
“There are no penal laws for this and no fine can be imposed,” says SP traffic while adding that the department earlier requested the district administration for the permission of the imposition of fine if the order is not followed. “They assured that we can impose fine even if it will be mere Rs 10. We asked for the receipt book but till date it has not been issued.”
When asked that can there be any helpline so that people complain about violation of order, the SP traffic said that several civil society groups has earlier assured that the help-lines will be dedicated for the cause but till date no one really has come forward.
He further stated that the department has published in several dailies the phone numbers on which the complaint about the matter could be lodged. “No one really called us. People do not support the initiative voluntarily, perhaps our society has not reached to that level where we could have the seats reserved for the ladies,” added the SP Traffic.
