Greenpeace India has said the state government's free bus travel for women was only the first step as more measures were required to reform the public transportation sector, including increase of the BMTC fleet to 14,000.
In a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the organisation said Karnataka requires multiple interventions to make public transport accessible and affordable to the public, including a 24X7 grievance redressal mechanism.
Among the measures suggested were the reservation of seats for women, elderly and sexual minorities. Increase the bus fleet to 10,000 by the end of the year and to 14,000 in the next five years, it said.
The letter also demanded bus lanes to decongest Bengaluru to make bus commute timely and reliable.
"While there is momentum with the government to address women's safety and needs in public transportation, investments in urban transportation are largely gender-blind. Building a city for women is essentially building a city for all," it said.
(Published 30 May 2023, 22:00 IST)
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