DHAKA: The young activists of Gender and Transportation Bangladesh Working Team (GTBWT) said public transportation system should be secured, more available and accessible in Dhaka.

Speakers said this during a human chain jointly organized by GTBWT and ESDO (Environment and Social Development Organization) in front of National Press Club in city on Saturday morning, said a press release.

They demanded for safer and more secured public transportation for all. More than 100 young activists joined the human chain.

According to ESDO, as Bangladesh’s society is highly segregated, women’s access to socio-economic opportunities and their mobility in public places are greatly affected by the lack of an effective transport system.

Available evidence suggests that women are facing multiple problems with the current transport system in Dhaka.

The fundamental attitude towards women’s mobility is restrictive and constraining their participation in employment, education and society in general.

At the human chain, ESDO executive director Siddika Sultana said, “The problems women face while travelling in Dhaka are: poor accessibility due to the insecure, unreliable, congested, overcrowded, and unsafe bus, absence of well-scheduled bus service, bus staff’s denial to board women, inadequate sidewalks, and fear of sexual harassment”.

The accidents and rape cases happened recently in Dhaka while women were returning home from workplaces at night are some of such examples, she added.
 
The ESDO executive director further said that women are more vulnerable than any other social groups of people, and often they travel at odd periods (early morning and late at night), they require safer routes and reliable, easy to use, non-hazardous and flexible mode of transportation.

She further added, “The government should create a separate lane for cyclists. It is to change the mind of people, hence, to change their lives”.

Citing that cycling will not only improve public health, but also will help keep the environment pollution-free, she also said, “To get rid of these problems, a separate lane in Dhaka to promote cycling will be one of the best steps”.

In order to address these issues for gender and transportation, GTBWT has been formed this year in association with ESDO along with the members of WiES (Women in Engineering and Science) Bangladesh, Planning Commission of Bangladesh Government and the World Bank.

This team has also been working on grabbing government’s attention to promote cycling across Dhaka city, said the release.

The transport services currently provided by the public and private buses are insecure, unreliable, congested and unsafe.

According to the release, the current transportation environment in Dhaka is not women friendly at all.

BDST: 1614 HRS, AUG 8, 2015
RS/RR/SMS