HYDERABAD: Unlike the Delhi metro, where women aggressively keep men off the ‘ladies-only’ compartment, the exclusivity of a women-only coach in the Hyderabad metro rail does not seem to stand true to its purpose. Several men keep using the space causing inconvenience to women.
Last month, the Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd. (HMRL) designated the last coach of the metro rail for ‘ladies only’. But a month later, the initiative has gone for a toss as several women allege that the security persons do not regulate the free flow of men entering the ladies coach.
M Vaidehi, a student who travels by metro everyday said that men, on several instances, get into the coach. “There ain’t any need of security guards manning the stations since they do little in keeping the men at bay,” observes Vaidehi, while travelling between KPHB and Ameerpet.
On Tuesday when Express visited the Metro stations, it came to light that the purple colour strip of a sheet used to create a partition and also has a “ladies only” tag written on it which was either missing or broken.
Despite the fact that the HMRL runs an automated audio message to vacate seats in the ladies-only compartment, the security guards did not promote it.
Upon being asked why security guards did not object ,, a security guard at Paradise station said that he was not authorised to do so. “We ask women to complain with the station controller but a few miscreants breach the limits,” he said.
However, the HMRL officials said that they were addressing the complaints. “We are communicating through social media to refrain from entering the designated ladies coach. Surprise checks are being held and security guards are also being informed to monitor the stations. But, during the peak hours with about 80,000 footfall, the monitoring is difficult,” an official of L&TMRHL said.