Women commuters at a loss in Metro

Hyderabad: Keeping the safety of women in mind, the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited has launched exclusive coaches for ladies. However, despite the floor stickers and signs indicating that the coaches are allotted to ladies, men still enter the coaches and grab women seats. Apart from sign boards, there are continuous announcements on the trains and in metros stations about where and how to embark on trains, but male commuters entering women coaches and grabbing their seats still remains an issue at the stations. 

“Often harassments happen to women while travelling by buses, but thanks to Metro rail which has cared for us by introducing exclusive coaches for women. However, male commuters often break the rules.  I don’t know if they willingly enter the coaches allotted to women. The metro rail management should install women police in the metro rails stations near the ladies coach,” said Aparna Rastogi, a metro commuter. 

Hyderabad Metro is slowly becoming popular among working women, she said. Simran Nayab, a frequent commuter said, “Even though the male commuters notice women standing, they won’t vacate the seats. And many ladies feel shy to even ask them to vacate.” There are CCTVs in all metro trains and operators would find help from the staff if male passengers are not vacating the seats allotted to women or simply for entering the ladies coach, said a Metro official. Usually, it would take one or two months for passengers to get familiar. Penalty will also be imposed after the grace period, he added.