Bengaluru: The transport department is planning to implement a number of measures to ensure women’s safety in the city. Soon, the transport commissioner will hold a meeting with the auto rickshaw association to discuss the introduction of “gulabi” auto rickshaws to be driven by women.
Speaking with Deccan Chronicle, Ramegowda, the transport commissioner said, “We are looking at all sorts of possibilities. I will have a meeting with the auto rickshaw association to discuss the possible routes where women auto rickshaw drivers can ply and also how we can implement the project keeping their safety in mind.”
Taking women’s empowerment and women’s safety into consideration, the previous transport commissioner has sent a proposal to the Karnataka Government to release permits for 5000 “gulabi” autos, exclusively for women, run by women.
The mastermind of the “gulabi auto” concept was Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon founder and a member of Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC).
It took a while, however, for the idea to be taken forward. In the meantime, BPAC and Peace Auto came together and submitted a proposal to the Transport Commissioner before the Peace auto awards function. Although these women-driven autos will give first preference to women, they can take male passengers as well.
The transport department is also considering giving permits to women taxi drivers, like in Mumbai. Currently, there are very few women drivers in the city. Commissioner Ramegowda adds, “We have given the women drivers the phone numbers of the police to SMS them during any emergency. We also tell them to inform the transport department or the local police about the routes they ply. Besides, there are helplines which are in place to assist them in case there’s any crisis.
