Cop travels in DTC buses to check women's security

Days after a woman was gang-raped and brutally assaulted here in a moving bus, an official of Delhi Police in plain clothes Wednesday travelled in DTC buses to check the security for women in public transport.

Additional Commissioner of Police Ajay Chaudhary travelled on buses plying on several routes, including 427 and 405, of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.

The move comes after a nationwide outcry over the Sunday night gang-rape of a 23-year-old para-medical student in a moving bus. The victim is battling for life in hospital.

While travelling, Chaudhary spoke to several women commuters who related their problems to him. A woman in her late 20s told him: "It is very difficult for us to get  seats in bus."
Another woman told the official that the inability to find a seat in the bus led to their molestation.

"The major reason behind a molestation is the rush inside a bus, which I felt while travelling inside the bus," Chaudhary told IANS.

"In order to prevent it, we will carry out frequent checks in buses at peak hours. I will also write to the transport department to increase the frequency of buses on those routes which are witnessing a rise in number of commuters," he said.

"We will paste stickers carrying women helpline numbers inside buses, so that they can contact us in any kind of emergency," Chaudhary said.

A woman passenger told the official that the police helpline number for women 1091 was of no use as nobody responded whenever she tried it.