Women-Only Buses and Subway Trains

Women on buses or trains can be subject to groping, leering and verbal abuse. Having women-only transportation seems like a great-way to provide women with the right to respect and safety. From the News section of the Wednesday, January 23, 2008, Toronto Star, page A2:

WOMEN-ONLY BUS SERVICE MAKES FIRST STOP IN MEXICO

Mexico city - The Mexican capaital has started a women-only bus service to protect female passengers from groping and verbal abuse common on its packed public transportation system.

Millions of people cram into subway trains and buses in Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, and women have long complained of abuse from men taking advantage of overcrowding to sneak in an inappropriate grab.

"One time a man stuck his hand up my skirt. They grab your butt .... It's gross," said 27-year-old Lourdes Zendejas, who waited 20 minutes during evening rush hour to catch one of the new buses.

The special buses pull up at ordinary steps but have large pink "women only" signs on the front and side. They were added to two busy routes last week and the city government plans to expand the program to 15 other routes by April.

"We were constantly receiving complaints of women being leered at, kissed or followed," said Carlos Cervantes, spokesperson for the city's public bus system.

The first three subway cars are already reserved for women and children but this is the first time the model has been tried in buses.

Tokyo's subway is already running women-only cars to prevent groping, and South Korea is expected this year to introduce women-only cars. Nearly half the crimes reported on the Seoul's eight subway lines are sexual in nature, a legislator told parliament last November.