Women ticket conductors and commuters complain of daily risks
The woman TTE, Kausalya, who was assaulted. (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: Wednesday morning’s incident, wherein a woman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) of Secunderabad division was assaulted by ticketless passengers on the Falaknuma-Lingampalli MMTS train, is not a one-off case. There have been frequent incidents in the city of women’s safety being compromised in running trains and buses.
Women ticket conductors themselves face safety concerns in the MMTS and are at times terrified to travel during late hours. Woman bus conductors, meanwhile, say that there have been several incidents of men trying to feel up women passengers in broad daylight or photograph them secretly. Though women conductors are backed by the drivers, they find it difficult to handle such passengers.
The MMTS trains, especially the late evening ones, are haunts of men who travel next to the women’s coach and peek through the metal mesh. At times, these men pass lewd comments and depending on the presence or non-presence of other people, make advances. Women travelling in trains and buses are the easiest targets of sexual harassment and misconduct.
“Most female ticket collectors travelling in MMTS trains have faced such misconduct from passengers but are forced to remain quiet as there is no one to listen to our problems. We have to deal with the issue as a part and parcel of the job as our male counterparts are already disapproving of us,” said a woman ticket conductor.
Incidents of men trying to grope girls and women in moving buses is very common.
“When a woman complains, we immediately take action and ask the man to get off. I have also seen incidents wherein a girl sleeping in her seat is felt up by a man sitting behind her and she doesn’t wake up. We cannot act when there is no complaint but I try to alert women passengers when a man is eyeing her. This, however, results in trouble for the lady conductors as the men hold a grudge and try to get back sometimes,” said Srikripa, an RTC bus conductor.
The railway police, in fact, has had several of cases of men taking objectionable photographs of women who were unaware that they were being photographed.
“There are cases where co-passengers have alerted the railway police about incidents where women breast-feeding their babies have been photographed,” added the lady TTE.
“Traveling in taxis is equally scary, especially on certain routes in the city where there is very less traffic. After the incidents involving cabs last year, I have started traveling by buses,” said Lasya P., a techie.
( Source : dc )
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