KSRTC reluctant on re-introducing women's special bus

Issue of feasibility, varying number of passengers, cited as reasons

Even as the demand for ‘women’s only’ buses have been getting louder in the city, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) authorities are reluctant to look at the plea for now. 

After winding up the women’s special bus that was operating between J P Nagar and Kuvempunagar bus depot near Vivekanandanagar, over three years ago in 2011, the transport corporation authorities are dithering over re-introducing the service.

KSRTC Divisional Controller (Urban) H G Ramesh told Deccan Herald that as there was a varying range of commuters and public transport users, irrespective of gender, it was difficult to operate dedicated buses for women on the city routes.

“Feasibility is another issue, as there is no accurate data on women surpassing men in select stops. On an average the transport corporation spends Rs 8,000 on one particular route (400 km) per day, with Rs 20 calculated per km.
 However, considering the demand of  the women passengers, 20 per cent of the seats has been reserved for women in every bus, having a total seating capacity of 40 and above,” he said.

Assistant Traffic Manager Maqsood Ahmed said that according to a survey, 46 per cent women in Mysuru relied on the buses, against 54 per cent men. Barring J P Nagar, Kuvempunagar, Ramakrishna Nagar, Vivekananda Nagar and also some of the villages bordering with the city corporation limits, not many women in other parts of the city like Udaygiri, N R Mohalla and surrounding areas were opting for public transport.

At J P Nagar and other areas, women from middle and upper middle class families preferred to take buses for intra-city transport due to the increase in frequency of the services. At Udaygiri and other areas, private transport -- either two-wheelers or four wheelers, were the most preferred mode of transport.

However, Ahmed said that according to the survey conducted by a private agency for the transport corporation, there was an increase (34 pc) in number of people using public transport, mainly buses, in the year 2014. Previously when the survey was conducted three years ago, the number of such public transport users was between 26 pc and 27 pc.