JOIN USCOLOUR ME PINK In Odisha, the government has taken steps to gender sensitise auto rickshaw drivers. Also, ‘Pink autos’ have been rolled out to ferry woman passengers. Rakhi Ghosh evaluates the effects of such measures.
In Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Ranjita Mallick, 17, has a nightmarish story to share. This student of a city college was returning from classes one evening 8 pm, when she found herself in a very vulnerable situation. She narrates, “That night, I took an auto rickshaw home.
Initially, I was alone in the vehicle. Later, two men got in. I realised that they were drunk when they started misbehaving with me and touching me inappropriately.
When I shouted, the auto driver stopped the vehicle and I immediately ran from the spot. But the two men didn’t give up. They started following me. When the driver tried to stop them, he was simply thrashed.
Mercifully, I reached a busy market area and went to the nearest public telephone booth from where I called my mother. Till she came to pick me up, I was shivering with fear.”
Of course, there are many girls and women across the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack who have been through similar experiences.
According to Sujata Panda, former inspector in-charge of the Mahila Police Station, Bhubaneswar, “As the city grows and opportunities rise, more and more women are stepping out of their homes for studies or jobs. While some make their own transportation arrangements, everyone cannot afford it.
Women commuting by public transport are vulnerable to harassment and abuse by troublemakers. There have been some cases of rape and abductions in the city where auto drivers were involved.”
Today, however, there is one transport service in Bhubaneswar, endorsed by the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissionerate, which is not just making heads turn, but also offering some hope and comfort to the thousands of women and girls commuting every day.
It’s the Pink Auto service, which not only has the ‘women-friendly auto’ sticker on the vehicle with a first-aid and suggestion box on board, but its drivers have gone through extensive psychological tests and social and criminal background checks.
Dr Rajendra Prasad Sharma, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, reveals, “Before launching the service earlier this year, we ensured that the auto drivers went through psychological analysis and special training to help them interface better with women passengers.
A trained psychologist observed around 270 drivers, who had been selected only after we had looked into their social background and checked if they had any previous criminal record. Among them, 200 drivers cleared the test.”
Initially, 215 pink autos were pressed into service; now their numbers are up to 300. And although earlier there was a plan to paint the entire auto rickshaw pink so that people would be able to identify them with ease, it was reconsidered on the request of the drivers, who settled for painting only a specific portion of the auto rickshaw in the colour.
To provide a safe travel experience to women, the Police Commissionerate has opened up five kiosks at important locations in the city. These are equipped with phones that are also integrated to the police control room.
Female passengers can dial the landline number to avail the service and in case there is any problem, they can be easily be tracked by the police.
Plans are in the offing to install the global positioning system (GPS) in the pink auto rickshaws to keep tabs on their location as well. “This will definitely provide a safe travel experience to all the women commuters, be it college-goers or working professionals,” says Satyabrata Bhoi, deputy commissioner of Police.
Women commuters as well as gender activists have welcomed the introduction of this service. Says Rukmini Panda, a city-based activist, “The recent Uber taxi rape incident in Delhi has definitely renewed a deep sense of fear among women commuters across the country.
I think many such situations can be averted if authorities take the time to track the past record of those who are part of the transportation system and sensitise them towards issues like violence against women.
Besides this, we should consider holding monthly orientation meetings with the auto drivers regarding gender sensitivity and talk to them about gender violence. Regular interaction will help them change their mindset towards women commuters.”
Activist Namrata Chaddha agrees with Rukmini’s evaluation. She says, “Though late in the day, the government has launched a service that provides a reasonably safer alternative to women.
This service should extend to other cities like Cuttack and Rourkela as well, where female commuters chiefly depend on public transport for their commute. And maybe it would be a good idea to have women drivers driving these pink autos.” On their part, the auto drivers association is happy to be on board.
For Sandhya Mohanty, her daily commute to office is not as scary as it used to be. She says, “I believe that psychologically testing the auto drivers has made a difference. I find the pink auto drivers more supportive towards commuters.
They don’t argue, pick a fight or use bad language. This should be replicated in other growing cities and towns of the state.” Adds Monalisa Parida, who works with a private company and has to often work late, “It is definitely a welcome step, but the authorities should ensure that these kiosks provide service on time. The police should start an awareness campaign to promote pink auto service in the city.”
Countrywide, the search is on for safe modes of transport that can give women the freedom to move around their own city without the fear of being violated. Are pink autos the answer? Only time will tell.