Women’s free ride puts men on toes in buses

Hyderabad: The Mahalaksmi scheme implemented by the Telangana government has been instrumental in empowering women, but it has inadvertently led to significant challenges for male passengers. Many men are experiencing extreme inconvenience as they are compelled to stand during their commute. This disparity in treatment has caused agitation and frustration among male passengers who feel unfairly treated despite their payment for the service.

Frustrated by this issue, a growing number of men are opting for alternative modes of public transportation, such as trains, private buses, and even resorting to using personal vehicles. Most of the male passengers are dissatisfied with the unequal treatment they face in the current system, prompting them to seek more equitable commuting options.

Balram, a software engineer, who commutes to work regularly through the TSRTC bus says, “Despite numerous complaints lodged with station controllers, depot managers, and conductors, officials are yet to take any action or initiative to designate specific seating arrangements for men. The lack of response or tangible efforts to address these grievances has only added to the frustration and discontent among commuters.”

Several conductors have expressed their challenges in ensuring proper seating allocation for passengers. They cite time constraints as a primary hurdle, stating that their priority is to issue tickets to all passengers before the next stop, making it difficult to monitor seat allocations, especially for senior citizens or those with physical disabilities. Moreover, they highlight that there has not been clear instruction or guidance from higher officials regarding the implementation of designated seating for men on board.

Rahul, another passenger who travels from Kompally to Jubilee Hills everyday by bus, started preferring personal vehicle as it is causing huge inconvenience to him. He says, “The recent decision by the government and TSRTC to provide exclusive free bus travel for women has left many feeling deeply disappointed. There is a prevailing sentiment that sufficient provisions have not been made within the buses to ensure a seamless travel experience for all passengers. This lack of adequate arrangements is seen as a major setback and is considered highly unfortunate by many affected commuters. The absence of measures to accommodate everyone’s needs and ensure comfort during travel has added to the frustration and disappointment with this policy change.”