Flouting the rules with impunity

The Delhi gang rape case has sparked off many concerns among Bangaloreans, especially in terms of the safety on private modes of transport. One of the main demands that the commuters have made is the removal of tinted and coloured windows from private buses, which continue to have these in gross violation of Supreme Court order.

Many women point out that this is the first thing that the government must do to provide better security to women in the City.

 “Many of us return late in the evenings in these private buses. After what happened in Delhi, I feel that the government should ask the private buses to remove the tint from their windows. This way, we will feel safer and in case of any dangerous situation, we could raise an alarm. It is important that people can see the inside of the bus, as that may deter miscreants,” says Mithali, a professional.

Shweta, a student, adds that many such buses ply on Outer Ring Road and they are frequently used by professionals to get home in the evening. “Most of these buses have tinted and coloured windows. It will be helpful for women who travel long distances if the government cracks down on them. In fact, the problem isn’t just the windows — the glass panels at the rear end of these buses are often tinted or painted as well,” she points out.

 M A Saleem, the additional commissioner of police (traffic), informs that the crackdown on these private buses has already begun. “The crackdown began on December 25 for all those private buses which have tinted windows. Buses with coloured glasses that have a transparency level of less than 70 per cent will also have to replace them with transparent glass.

These checks will take place when the vehicles go for the fitness certificate. No bus — whether public or private — can have advertisements on the windows. In fact, all the BMTC buses have removed the advertisements that were there previously. The process has already begun,” he informs.

Pallabi, a student, says that many of her peers travel in private buses at night and it is important to ensure that this mode of transport remains safe.

“Many of my friends work in call centres and travel late at night. In addition to removing the tint, I would suggest that the government make it imperative that all buses have a GPS system, so that the police control room can track down the exact location of the bus.

In case of an accident or mishap, the vehicle can be located immediately,” she suggests.
Others also feel that buses should also have a CCTV camera. “This can be very helpful, as it will record all the happenings in a bus — even a small quarrel can be recorded. It can also act as a warning for miscreants; they might not dare to do anything as the camera will record the details,” notes Kushal, a commuter.