Women passengers travelling on Ama Buses in Odisha have urged the state government to introduce dedicated women-only services during peak hours, citing repeated concerns over harassment and safety in crowded buses.
Passengers have appealed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to direct the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) to operate two to three pairs of women-only buses during busy travel hours.
They suggested dedicated services between 8 am and 10 am and again from 5 pm to 7 pm, particularly on the busy Bhubaneswar-Katak route.
Women report harassment amid overcrowding
Several women passengers said overcrowding on Ama Buses makes them vulnerable to inappropriate touching and other forms of harassment.
According to passengers, identifying the person responsible can be difficult when a bus is packed, particularly when people are boarding or getting off.
Some women also alleged that when they confront passengers over inappropriate behaviour, the accused sometimes claim that the contact was accidental because of the crowd.
Passengers said conductors have intervened in some reported incidents by moving alleged offenders away or, in certain cases, stopping buses and removing them.
One woman passenger described an incident in which she was allegedly touched inappropriately while passengers were getting off. By the time she turned around and raised an alarm, the people around her had already left the bus, making it impossible for her to identify the person responsible.
She urged the government to consider dedicated services for women, arguing that women’s safety should extend beyond welfare schemes to their everyday mobility and public spaces.
Passenger says harassment affected work
Another woman passenger said repeated incidents during her commute had affected her mental well-being and made it difficult to concentrate at work.
She eventually changed her travel schedule after her employer agreed to modify her shift timings, allowing her to avoid peak-hour crowds.
She also suggested deploying female police personnel or security staff on buses to improve women’s sense of safety and provide immediate assistance when incidents occur.
Student questions lack of dedicated services
A female student also raised concerns about travelling on crowded buses.
She said women do not always know whom to approach immediately after an incident and recalled contacting a police control room following an alleged episode of inappropriate touching.
The student said she had delayed making the call because she was shocked and needed time to process what had happened.
Her experience, she said, highlighted the need for clearer and more accessible mechanisms for passengers to report harassment and seek immediate assistance.
Parents worried about women’s safety
Parents have also expressed concern about women and girls travelling on crowded public buses.
One father said he was uncomfortable sending his daughter on Ama Buses because of concerns over passenger safety. He also pointed to complaints about pickpocketing and theft on crowded services.
Passengers have therefore called for a combination of measures, including women-only buses during peak hours, better surveillance, stronger complaint mechanisms and greater security presence.
Women seek CM Majhi’s intervention
The passengers have appealed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene and ask CRUT to consider dedicated women-only Ama Bus services during peak commuting hours.
They believe such services could provide women with an additional safe travel option, particularly during the morning and evening rush.
The demand comes as Ama Bus services remain an important part of daily public transport between Bhubaneswar and Katak, with large numbers of students, employees and other commuters relying on the network.
