Men occupying ladies seats in Metro

Hyderabad: Chivalry is dead. Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) demarcates the ladies section with a pink ribbon both inside the train and at the Metro station platforms. Prominent floor stickers reading 'Ladies Only' have been placed and 'Reserved for Ladies' too is clearly mentioned but men do not care.

There is a board inside the ladies coach "Men in the Ladies section! Please WhatsApp TRAIN 35 to 7032224242, if you find any men sitting in ladies seats.' Despite this, men occupy spaces meant for women on all the routes including Miyapur-LB Nagar, Hitec City-Ameerpet as well as on Ameerpet-Nagole route.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Friday, Rama Devi B, who travels from LB Nagar to KPHB Colony every day, said, "We feel shy to ask men to get up from the reserved seat. Recently, one man came and sat in a ladies seat and nobody asked him to get up."

There is no staff on the platform to stop male passengers from boarding women's coaches. Another lady, who regularly commutes from Ameerpet to Nagole, said, "I am seeing so many men in ladies coach and it's embarrassing to ask men to get up from the seats, and they should understand."

There is an audio announcement that a penalty of Rs 500 would be imposed on men who occupy ladies seat. There is no metro staff inside the train to restrict the male passengers from entering women's coach and occupy their seats. Attempts to reach out to L&T Metro Rail officials proved futile.