Bengaluru: Of around 8,000 Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses in the city, only 850 have pink seats, as announced by the corporation last year. It may take another year before all the buses are covered under the new scheme, an official told to Deccan Chronicle.
Women commuters complain that they continue to argue with men occupying their seats on most of the buses.
“Except a few buses, all others still have no reserved seats for women. We continue to argue with men to vacate seats meant for us. The pink seat scheme could be another publicity gimmick by the BMTC. Earlier, it had announced exclusive pink buses, but later withdrew the services,” said Sridavi S., who works with an NGO.
Amrutha, a college student, said, “It is a good initiative, but needs proper implementation. I go by bus every day to reach my college in Vasanthnagar. But only in one or two buses have I seen these pink seats. In other buses, if men are occupying our seats we cannot argue with them.”
Of the 16 seats reserved for women, two seats behind the driver are meant for senior women citizens and one for a differently-abled woman. Except these three seats, the covers of the remaining 13 would be pink.
A senior BMTC official said, “850 buses in the city already have the pink seats, while the rest will also have it soon. Only when our vehicles go for fitness certificate (FC) can we change the old seats to pink. We conduct FC test every year for buses that are three years and older. Over the next few days, all buses will run with pink seats.”
