Women's buses existed before, why didn't they survive?

The introduction of special buses for women on the streets of the capital is not a new initiative. Over nearly three decades, such buses have been launched multiple times, but due to a failure to ensure regular and adequate service, they have repeatedly disappeared from the roads. In 2018, a private initiative introduced four buses named 'Dolonchapa,' but that service was also discontinued on October 23, 2022. Prior to that, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation's (BRTC) women's bus service had also been effectively reduced over time, with routes and the number of buses being cut back. Now, setting aside those past failures, BRTC is set to launch new buses for women from Tuesday, repainted and with renewed effort.

The initiative for separate buses for women was first taken experimentally in 1998 through BRTC. Later, in 2001, the service was expanded to Dhaka and surrounding areas. Attempts were made at various times to close and restart the service. In 2008, BRTC again launched special buses on the Mirpur-Gulistan and Khilgaon-Taltola-Gulistan routes. Research has shown that major problems with the women's bus service at that time were limited routes, scheduling issues, and low awareness of the service among potential passengers.

In 2014, on the Rampura-Badda-Khilgaon-Motijheel route, the number of allocated buses was reduced from four to three. On the Tongi-Motijheel route, one bus was running instead of two, and on the Mirpur-12-Motijheel route, one was running instead of two. Many buses operated only one trip per day. This meant that while buses existed on paper, regular service was not actually available. A similar picture was found in 2016. After the Abdullahpur-Motijheel women's bus service was discontinued, orders were given to resume it. At that time, it was said that 19 buses were operating as women's service on various roads in the capital.

Subsequently, various management issues regarding BRTC's women's bus service came to light. Complaints included the lack of a fixed schedule, buses not running regularly, many passengers being unaware of the service, the use of old or poor-condition buses, and low passenger numbers. In a 2024 report, BRTC officials themselves admitted that the women's bus service lacked a specific schedule and discipline, and that the service was operating at a loss.

The Dolonchapa Experience Was Also Unpleasant

Beyond government initiatives, on June 2, 2018, 'Dolonchapa' buses were launched in the capital for women through a private endeavor. This service was started with AC buses on the Mirpur-12 to Motijheel route, a joint initiative of the Rangs Group and India's Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles Limited. Initially, there were two buses, but the number was later increased to four due to interest from female passengers. Later, buses also started running on the Mirpur ECB Square to Azimpur route.

However, shortly after its launch, questions arose about the management of Dolonchapa. In the month following its launch, the bus could not be found in the Mirpur-12 area even after long waits. Despite an announcement at the inauguration that more buses would be introduced within two months, this did not progress at the expected pace. During the coronavirus pandemic, passenger numbers dwindled, and two of the four Dolonchapa buses were kept out of service. While service continued with two buses afterward, the entire service was eventually shut down on October 23, 2022.

Why the Women's Bus Service Did Not Succeed

According to experts, analysis of past experiences reveals several reasons. First, the number of buses was far too few compared to demand. In 2018, against roughly seven thousand buses operating daily on various routes in Dhaka, there were only 17 BRTC buses designated for women. Second, the lack of a fixed and reliable schedule discouraged female passengers. A study found that nearly half of the women surveyed did not use the women's buses due to scheduling problems. The same study also mentioned that the service was being portrayed as a loss-making project.

Third, there was insufficient publicity and management. A 2024 field-level survey showed that many women were not even aware of the BRTC bus service. Officials also stated that even specific records of passenger numbers and income-expenditure were not regularly maintained. Fourth, there were issues with male intrusion and lack of discipline in the service designated for women. There were even instances of male passengers boarding the Dolonchapa buses. Additionally, there are complaints that male passengers often occupy the seats reserved for women in regular buses. Finally, there is the question of financial sustainability. BRTC officials have complained that operating women's buses incurs losses when passenger numbers are low. Therefore, past experience has shown that simply introducing buses is not enough to ensure a sustainable service.

What is different this time?

The most notable aspect of the new initiative is that this time, it is not just separate buses; the drivers and their assistants will also be women. The pink-colored buses with the label 'Women's Bus Service' will make them easily recognizable from a distance. At the same time, the plan to launch 10 buses simultaneously on multiple important corridors of the capital is a larger initiative compared to the limited scope of previous efforts.

However, the question from past experiences remains: Will the buses run regularly according to a fixed schedule? How will the routes and timetables be communicated to passengers? Will there be replacement buses in case of breakdowns, how will passenger numbers and income-expenditure records be maintained, and will the service continue even if the number of passengers is low? If effective management is not in place on these issues, the new initiative risks stalling just like the previous ones.

Although there is debate over the necessity of separate buses for women, the reality of harassment and insecurity in public transport cannot be ignored. According to experts, alongside separate buses, it is crucial to make general public transport more women-friendly. Because meeting the needs of female passengers requires more than just increasing the number of special buses; ensuring regular, reliable, and safe public transport is the long-term solution.

Under the new initiative, a total of 10 buses will operate on various routes in the capital. Additionally, four more buses will run in Bogura and Chattogram. The buses will be pink in color and will have 'Women's Bus Service' written on them. As the biggest change, this time both the drivers and their assistants will be women. Thus, efforts are being made to create a women-friendly environment by learning from the experience of previous services.