‘Blue Bus’ is not a policy of initiative, division or publicity necessary for the safety of women: Minister Badi
Kathmandu Minister for Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security, Sita Badi, said that the ‘Blue Bus’ service was launched with the objective of immediately addressing the security risks faced by women in public transport rather than creating division between men and women or a publicity campaign.
Responding to the queries raised by lawmakers in today’s meeting of the National Assembly, Minister Badi said that the ‘Blue Bus’ service is to be operated keeping in mind the sexual harassment against women in public transport, insecurity, overcrowding and other practical difficulties.
She clarified that the service would not replace the existing public transport system and would not ban women from using other public transport.
Stating that equality does not only mean treating all citizens equally, Minister Badi said that the ‘Blue Bus’ service has been started in accordance with the constitutional and policy values.
According to him, the long-term goal of the government is not to allow men and women to travel separately, but to create an environment where all citizens can travel safely, dignifiedly and easily in the same public transport.
Therefore, the long-term improvement of the public transport system and targeted services that ensure the immediate safety of women will be pursued in parallel.
Minister Badi stressed that the Blue Bus service was necessary to ensure safe mobility and easy access to public services such as education, health and employment as pregnant women, mothers travelling with small children, senior women, people with disabilities and people with disabilities face additional difficulties in crowded public transport.
“The purpose of the Blue Bus service is not to isolate women from public life, but to create an enabling environment for them to participate in education, training, employment, health care and economic and social activities with greater safety, dignity and confidence,” he said.
She also informed that necessary improvements and decisions would be made based on the results of regular review of the service’s effectiveness, necessity, operating condition and sustainability.
Minister Badi said that the government was working parallelly to implement the laws, regular monitoring, gender sensitivity training for drivers and helpers, raise public awareness and expand the safety system based on modern technology to make public transport safe, dignified, accessible and accountable to all.
The government has also prioritized installation of CCTV in public vehicles, SOS button in ride-sharing services, effective complaint management system and strict enforcement of laws against gender-based violence in public transport. Minister Badi said that the ‘Blue Bus’ service is not a publicity-oriented announcement but a concrete step towards building a safe, gender-friendly, dignified, accessible and inclusive public transport system by seeking practical solutions to the current threats faced by women.
“The government of
Nepal is fully committed to building an inclusive public transportation system in which all citizens, including women, men, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and gender and sexual minorities can travel in any public transport in a safe, dignified and comfortable manner,” she said.
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