Exclusively for women: KSRTC bus between Mangalore and Kasargod

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Aug 12: In a move aimed at providing more security to women, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has introduced special buses between Mangalore and Kasargod exclusively for women.

Beginning Monday August 12, the bus will ply on this route twice a day, starting at 8 am from Kasargod to Mangalore and at 6.05 pm on the return journey.

The bus service will cater to women and girls who travel to Mangalore on a daily basis for work and studies. As it starts at 8 am from Kasargod, they can catch bus and arrive in Mangalore on time. Though colleges and schools call it a day by 4 pm, the time of the return journey has been fixed at 6 pm so as to meet the needs of the working women too.

Keeping in mind the problems faced by women travelling on this route, especially the mental harassment they sometimes undergo when the buses are filled to capacity, KSRTC Mangalore unit DTO Sriram put in efforts to start a service exclusively for women, so that they could commute at ease.

However, just when the service was set to launch, Sriram was transferred to Tumkur. Sources said that he had also tried to get a lady conductor appointed for the bus, but now a male conductor has been put in charge.

"As many as 37 Karnataka government buses ply on Mangalore-Kasargod route on a daily basis. Among these, one bus has been alloted exclusively for women passengers. The bus will ply twice daily, and if the venture proves successful, the frequency of the service will be increased," said KSRTC officials.

It may be mentioned here that some years ago, a city bus only for women had been introduced, flagged off by the then governor Ramadevi. The bus had lady drivers too. However, as the move did not get the expected support from women passengers, the service was stopped.