Women’s seats may prove dear for men

Men who sit on women’s seats in RTC buses will probably have to pay a big price for their act.

According to RTC officials, 40 per cent of the bus seats are reserved for women in city services and 30 per cent in rural services. But more often than not, the seats meant for women are being occupied by men. Despite repeated pleas, many men refuse to consider their request and forcibly sit on the seats reserved for women. Noticing the decline in women travellers, the RTC is contemplating imposing a fine of Rs 500 on men found sitting on seats reserved for women in the buses.

P Sravanthi, a pregnant woman from Miyapur, said she used to travel to Koti from Miyapur every day for work. But often she would be denied a seat as men would occupy women’s seats.

A Surekha, a women activist, said mothers carrying babies and aged women were put to a lot of hardship due to lack of seats in buses. She opined that the government should bring in stringent norms to help women have a comfortable bus journey.

RTC executive director A Koteswara Rao said, “For the last one week, we have been creating awareness among men not to sit in women’s seats.” Instructions have been issued to all conductors to ensure that men do not occupy the seats reserved for women, he added.

The drive has started yielding results. Men are responding positively and women occupancy in buses has already shot up, an official said