More than 14 lakh women commuters in the city use the bus services everyday. A safety audit report done for Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) by Gender and Policy Lab, the Delhi-based social enterprise Safetipin and the Chennai-based non-profit organisation Prajnya which mapped the bus shelters and bus depots found that 10 bus stops and bus shelters could pose risk when it comes to women's safety. Interestingly, nine of these are managed by GCC and the 10th one by the Highways Department.
The bus stops include -- Korukkupet Bus Stop; Ambedkar College bus stop (Towards Central and Red Hills); Ashok Pillar Bus Stop; Chinandi Madabam Bus Stop; IOC Nagar Bus Stop; Muthamizh Nagar Bus Stop; Vyasarpadi Market Bus Stop; SIDCO Bus Stop; Vasuki Nagar Bus Stop and Teacher Training College Bus Stop, Saidapet (Maintained by Highways department).
According to the report, bus stops and bus depots are spaces that need to be safe and risk free for women and easily accessible for persons with disability in order for them to use the public transport easily. However, the findings reveal that bus shelters and bus stops lack of lighting and signages, there are no pedestrian crossing nearby; some are located near liquor shops; the approach roads are dark; there are dark spaces behind the bus shelter and there is no bus shelter in some bus stops.
The report also stated that two bus depots managed by Greater Chennai Corporation -- Broadway Bus Terminus and Guindy Bus Terminus --- have issues pertaining to lighting, encroachments, no ramp provisions for people with disabilities, lack of seating and signages. In Broadway bus Terminus, there are dark spots found in some parts of the terminus toward the exit (the farther side of the bus stop from the Metro station), absence of ramps or hand rails to support people with disabilities and encroachments at the entrance of the bus stop obstructing movement.
Similarly, Guindy Bus Terminus lacks adequate lighting inside the terminus and the road corners. The toilets near the terminus are closed and need to be opened, states the report.
The report also states that IOC bus stand, KKD Nagar Bus Depot and the Muthamizh Nagar Bus Depots were found to be unsafe where unwanted activities were going on. Men were found drinking on the approach road towards the KKD Nagar Bus Depot. There were men inside the depot urinating in public. The dark areas behind the IOC bus stand were being used for unwanted activities and substance abuse was observed behind the toilets in Muthamizh Nagar Bus Depot.
The Ambedkar College bus stop appeared to be another location for substance abuse and public urination while substance abuse and rowdyism was found in the Ashok Pillar Bus Stop, the report stated.
The report reveals that there are no lights in the existing bus stop design. Based on the Gender and Policy Lab’s suggestion, light has been included in the design. However, the new tender only applies to a certain number of bus stops. Especially in areas where there are no adequate street lights or where street lights are dim. Information on routes with more women passengers could be obtained and those bus stops could be given priority in terms of lighting, the report stated.
According to international guidelines, bus stops should be placed 50–100 metres or more away from these intersections to reduce the risk of accidents and give the bus' most vulnerable passengers—the elderly, people with disabilities, and expectant women—more time to board.
According to the audits, the SIDCO bus stop and the Vyasarpadi market bus stop were located in high vehicular traffic area. It is recommended that GCC has its own manual on the location of bus stops.
No comments:
Post a Comment