Bhubaneswar: The word ‘bus’ bring to the mind an image of a big behemoth, spewing fumes, which is definitely nothing very appealing. Instead, it is uncomfortable and claustrophobic. To add to the woes, women travelers, mostly adolescents and young adults, are usually at the receiving end of many incidents of pesky transit conduct often involving the staff themselves.
Harassment in and around public transit is mostly a grey subject, particularly for women, especially if they are young and vulnerable. Once bitten twice shy, the memory of harassment and subsequent fear of crime, generally culminates in riders switching to other modes of transit, and could possibly hamper the efforts of the state to increase the share of public transport in cities. With all those prejudices in the back of my mind, this time around, I stepped aboard ‘Mo Bus’ launched earlier this month that has already clicked 32,000 ridership per day. It turned out to be an unforgettable ride. From Master Canteen Depot to SUM Hospital, the “joi de vivre” among the riders, especially women was palpable.
Kalpana Behera (35), a resident of Kestopur in West Bengal, is a medical tourist visiting SUM Hospital for health check-ups. We got talking and she said the first thing that appeals to her is the look and feel of ‘Mo Bus’. “It’s very neat, clean and really organized. I think I will look specifically for a ‘Mo Bus’, the next time I visit the city,” she added.
“We are indeed surprised! This doesn’t feel like any other bus we have travelled in. It is relatively quiet and nice in here, and yes, there is also a lady guide for a change,” bantered Puja Sahu and Ila Giri. Both of them are first-year students of Mother’s School of Nursing, Kalinga Nagar. They belong to Jhargaon in West Bengal.
I kept hopping from one row to another, throughout the journey, to keep chatting with passengers.
I happened to meet Malati Sethi, a 38-year-old mother, who boards ‘Mo Bus’ every day to accompany her 12-year-old daughter, Sneha, returning from a local English Medium School.
She has been availing the services since the day of launch and said, “It’s far more convenient for me compared to an auto ride or the pricier alternative, a cab. The ‘Mo Bus’ staff are also very good with the riders, and always offer a helping hand.
Sugyani Barik, the lady Guide on board, was hard to miss in her spic and span uniform and flashing smile. “The moment women spot me, they immediately hop on to the bus”, she said.
Senior CRUT official, Dipti Mohapatra, General Manager, Personnel & Administration, said that ‘Mo Bus’ has on-board surveillance cameras, which are directly linked to Bhubaneswar Operation Center (BOC), ensuring real-time detection thus safeguarding women riders.
Under ‘Mo Bus’, a robust public transport system, Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) is rolling out a fleet of 300 state-of-the-art technology driven buses in three phases in and around Bhubaneswar.
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