Bhubaneswar city buses till 11 pm

Recently Delhi Transport Corporation decided to run its buses till late in the night after the gang rape of a girl in a private bus in the national capital. Now Bhubaneswar city bus service is planning to extend its operation till 11 pm for the safe transport of passengers, especially women.

At present the city buses stop plying after 9 pm, causing hardship to women commuters, many of whom feel unsafe to travel by auto-rickshaws because of the alleged involvement of many auto drivers in several crimes.

Instead of running the vehicles till late night on all routes, DTS contemplates to focus on a few routes like the Railway station, Baramunda bus stand, Biju Patnaik airport, Chandrasekharpur and Infocity.

“We will try to make our presence felt on road till 11 pm. Right now we are retiring our service between 9 and 9.30 pm,” said Nishikant Mishra, chairman of Dream Team Sahara (DTS), the city bus operator.

Mishra said the DTS would try to hire some security guards. “Our transport system is very safe. We have not yet come across any harassment of women in our buses,” Mishra said. “Still, we will try to hire some guards for the safety of passengers,” he added.

“City bus would be safer to travel in night compared to private buses and autos. These days I am thinking twice to board an auto in the evening as many auto drivers are found drunk,” said Chinmayee Sarangi, a call centre employee.

Some women demanded the deployment of home guards or private security guards in buses. “We often face eve-teasing in buses. The operators should engage security guards to check the menace,” said Dipti Pattnaik. “Besides, bus operators should ensure that sufficient seats are reserved for women passengers,” she said. (Source – The Times of India)