Guwahati: Assam transport department introduced the first lot of ten city buses exclusively for women in one of the busiest routes in Guwahati city from Wednesday.
The step that has been lauded by many women organisations in the state as it will go a long way in making cty bus riding hassles-free from women commuters.
These all-women city buses are being manned by women as helpers, ticket-checkers who have been trained by the state transport department.
The buses also have CCTV camera facilities and women constables on duty.
For the time being these buses will be driven by male drivers till the women drivers, who have been recruited for the purpose, complete their training course.
All these ten city-buses for women will ply along the busy Khanapara-Kachari route daily from 9 A.M. to 11 P.M and again from 3 p.m to 8 p.m.
Flagging off the first all-women city bus at the historic Judges’ Field point in the heart of the city, Assam’s chief secretary, Jitesh Khosla said the government was planning to introduce similar bus services for women in other routes also in near future.
Ten news buses were on Wednesday put into the first of its kind service in the city by private operators chosen by the state transport department.
These buses will ply along the arterial G S Road from Khanapara point in the east of the city to Kachari in the heart of the city.
The route touches through many government office complexes including the state secretariat, commercial hubs and hospitals.
Though the left column of the seats in any of the general city buses plying in Guwahati are reserved for women, sometimes it becomes very difficult for women travelers either to board and get off from those buses especially during the rush hours where buses remain totally full of commuters.
Often women commuters have to face harassment of various kinds while travelling in city buses in Guwahati during the rush hours in the morning and the evening every day.
