‘Jagah Dakhva’ initiative launched for women safety in MSRTC buses

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has launched a new campaign called ‘Jagah Dakhva’ to combat sexual harassment on state-run buses. The initiative was launched on Thursday, August 15, in collaboration with an NGO called Akshara Centre. The aim is to protect the dignity and safety of women while travelling. The programme is designed to make travelling safer for women and create awareness about the importance of preventing sexual misconduct on public transport.

To address this issue, bus conductors have been given extensive training by Akshara Centre and MSRTC. This training focuses on effectively handling complaints of harassment. This campaign consists of three videos highlighting unacceptable behaviour and encouraging them to address harassment while travelling.

Also read: Bombay HC urges slum-free Mumbai, warns against exploitation by developers

A recent survey by an NGO found that in Pune, 63% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment on buses, but only 12% of these incidents were reported to the police. In Mumbai, only 2% of female commuters reported such incidents, and none of them were satisfied with the outcome. The survey also found that about 70% of women witnessed violence while using public transport.

MSRTC operates over 15,000 buses daily, carrying over 5 million passengers across cities, towns and nearly 44,000 villages in Maharashtra.