'Stop Not Allowing Women To Board Buses First': Odisha Commission To State

Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW) has insisted the State Transport Department end the practice of government-run and private buses not allowing women to board as first passengers. OSCW wants to end the practise of a woman being allowed to board a bus only after a male passenger boarded first. 

The action was initiated after a petition by social worker, Ghasiram Panda from Sonepur, who complained to OSCW after a woman was allegedly stopped from boarding a bus at Baramunda bus stand in Bhubaneswar. Reportedly, Panda claimed that the bus conductor denied the woman to enter the bus as it was empty. She could only board after a male passenger enters first. The conductor denied entry to the woman citing, with her entering first, there is the possibility of an accident. 

Odisha Commission On Women Transportation 

On 25 July, Commission moved the petition to the transport department. The Women's Rights Commission claimed of receiving similar complaints in the past. OSCW in the directive said, "This type of incident had come to the knowledge of the Commission in the past too. To avoid future inconvenience to women passengers and to protect their safety and dignity, I would like to request you to ensure that the buses (both Government and Private) allow women as the first passenger.” It also requested for increase in bus seats reserved for women to 50%.

Basically, a woman boarding the bus first is considered a bad omen. What era are we living in? How could an entire system have such orthodox beliefs? Think, if no man wants to travel by bus in Odisha, none of the women can take the bus. Women's mobility is again put at stake and depends on the mobility of men. How long will it take to omit these superstitious beliefs? Isn't it regressive to discriminate against women with as basic as a bus transport system? What is the use of Bhubaneswar being the second highest perceived public transport reliability in the country? Because the incident of discrimination took place at one of the bus stands in the capital city of Bhubaneswar. How can the city get the most reliable public transport tag when half the population (women) cannot enter the bus first? 

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