Pink auto' correct for safe rides

The government in the city has busy. Taking every measure available to make women feel safe when they step out — Pink Hoysalas to pink seats on buses and women only coaches on metros. The latest addition to this list are Pink Autos. Come April, women in Bengaluru will be able to hail pink autorickshaws, reserved for their use. To be distributed under the welfare schemes of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Pallike, the autos will come equipped with CCTV cameras and GPS trackers and will hit the roads by the end of March. In a conversation with women in the city, we find out their views on this initiative.

Be it men or women in today’s world, no one is safe. HR consultant Rekha CP says, “Today safety is not just the concern for ‘women’ per say. Even men are unsafe on roads after 12 am. A neighbour of mine who got dropped at our street corner got robbed at knife point. The pink auto is a great move if implemented without flaws. I think that the flipside is that these autos would be more vulnerable at nights. In secluded spots, they could be more prone to attacks.”

Technology like GPS and CCTV will not only help people but also nab criminals. Dr Lakshmi Thalanki, an orthodontist says, “In secluded spots, any auto will have the same risk, but since they are taking more precaution by adding CCTV and GPS, getting help will be more accessible. Videos recorded can help nab criminals. The reason why people in many developed countries are scared to commit such crimes is because of their fear of getting caught and prosecuted.”

Once the criminals are punished accordingly, others will think twice before committing crimes. “I think pink seats are also a great idea, which were there before in buses but were not really followed. Now, maybe the colour may make more of a statement, that they are reserved for them. I still remember an incident that happened while travelling in buses during college. Most of us can relate to such incidences in our lives. I think this will be a positive direction to feel more protected and safe, and also give the law an upper hand during prosecution.” she adds.

Soft skills trainer Shyba Karthikeyan is of the opinion that it’s important to respect other women. says, “Bringing out pink autos is definitely a welcome move. I feel that only when women respect other women, only then will the rest of the world respect us. When women are fighting for equality, do we need reservation? I feel the seat reservation colour codes should be given for senior citizens, pregnant women, sick people, small children and mothers accompanied by children, if women respect women other things will fall in place.”

City-based sociologist Dr. Sowrabha C feels, “This is definitely a welcome move as it will help women in many ways especially when she needs care and privilege. This kind of initiative will definitely help women in public places. Men and women are part of society and it’s not necessary to have only women drivers. The additional thing of adding GPS trackers and CCTV cameras is definitely a good measure especially when they are travelling at odd hours — for the safety of both the passenger as well as the driver.”