CCC indifferent to women commuters' suffering

Women passengers suffer following suspension of Chittagong City Corporation Women Bus Service this week. The photo was taken from in front of Chittagong New Market on Monday. Photo: STAR

The bus service launched by Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) four months ago for women and children has been stopped suddenly this week, causing suffering to the commuters.
CCC stopped the service titled "Nirapad Jatriseba Service" on October 4 through advertisements in local dailies blaming the BB Enterprise, a private firm responsible for plying the buses, for carrying excess passengers violating the contract.
This was the CCC's fourth such move to run a hassle-free separate bus service for women commuters in the port.
CCC introduced a special bus service for women with 10 buses from private firm Shah Amin to operate on four different routes in the city on April 1 in 2005. But the bus service was stopped after several months as the firm expressed its inability to run their buses showing huge loss due to poor presence of women passengers.
CCC hired 10 buses from Rainbow City Bus Owners' Association to resume the service in August in 2006, allowing to carry both female and male passengers in two separate portions inside the buses.
It also purchased 10 buses from China and five from local company Navana Limited in October the same year, giving responsibility to BB Enterprise to operate the service.
The service was stopped again after the arrest of Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury on March 7 in 2007 as the then CCC authorities refused to continue it.
CCC in its fresh move launched the service titled 'Nirapad Jatriseba Service' on June 6 only on one route from Old Chandgaon police station to Katgar in order to facilitate a hassle-free journey for the commuters especially the women and children. The same BB Enterprise got the work for two years as the highest bidder in a tender to operate 15 buses.
Female passengers heaved a sigh of relief with the launching of the service again. But sudden closure of the service frustrated them again as travel in public vehicles is difficult for women.
Daily commuting nowadays is a nightmare for Zinnat Ara, working in a private shipping firm. She said she was happy with Nirapad Jatriseba Service since she was certain in getting a seat in the bus after collecting a ticket. Besides, it provided a congenial environment for the women.
Female passengers cannot get on a general bus easily and are often harassed by the men surrounding them, said Nasima, an NGO staff.
Samajtantrik Mahila Forum Coordinator Syeda Parvin Akhter said it is unfortunate that both the government and the local administration have failed to ensure a smooth service for the female commuters though the number of working women is increasing day by day.
The government should give priority to this service as the private firms usually try to profit, Parvin said, adding that both the government and the local administration are always found indifference to the problem.
CCC Superintendent Engineer (Mechanical) Abul Hasnat said they have stopped the service since the buses run by BB Enterprise was carrying excess passengers violating the contract, which BB Enterprise proprietor Belayet Hossain Belal denied.
Engineer Hasnat, however, said the CCC will resume the service with more buses in near future.