CM Kejriwal directed action against bus driver for not stopping for women passengers at bus stop

He directed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to take necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, a statement said.He also stressed the urgent need for sensitisation of bus drivers to ensure the safety and convenience of all passengers, it added.Within an hour of the incident coming to the chief ministers notice, swift action was taken to address the matter.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday directed action against a bus driver for deliberately not stopping for women passengers at a bus stop, and appealed to all drivers to halt the buses at designated stops.

The action against the bus driver came after a video surfaced on social media showing a cluster bus driver not stopping for women passengers as they would have availed the free travel provision.

Expressing concern over the incident, the chief minister gave instructions for action against the bus driver who did not stop the bus on purpose. He directed Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot to take necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future, a statement said.

He also stressed the urgent need for sensitisation of bus drivers to ensure the safety and convenience of all passengers, it added.

Within an hour of the incident coming to the chief minister's notice, swift action was taken to address the matter. The bus driver involved in the incident was also immediately taken off duty, the statement said.

In an appeal to bus drivers in Delhi, Kejriwal called for their cooperation and urged them to halt at all designated stops without fail.

Recognising the pivotal role played by bus drivers in the daily lives of commuters, he emphasised the importance of their adherence to guidelines and regulations.

''I appeal to my brothers and sisters who are operating our buses to stop the bus at the designated bus stand. There have been complaints that some bus drivers do not stop on seeing women. This is not right,'' the CM tweeted.

Transport Minister Gahlot called a departmental meeting aimed at sensitising bus drivers and other staff members.

He also acknowledged previous complaints regarding buses not stopping when women were present, explaining that in those instances, action could not be taken as the Services Department was not under the government's jurisdiction.

However, after gaining control of Services, the government remains committed to addressing such issues promptly and effectively to ensure a positive commuting experience for all, he added.

''It has been confirmed that the bus driver responsible for the incident has been identified and removed from duty pending further investigation. A replacement driver has been assigned to the same bus. The government strongly condemns such behaviour and emphasises its complete unacceptability,'' Gahlot said.

He appealed to bus passengers to capture and share videos if they witness any similar irregularities.

Gahlot held a crucial meeting with senior officers of the Transport Department and the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to discuss and resolve complaints regarding bus drivers failing to stop for women at bus stops.

Expressing dissatisfaction with these reports, the minister instructed the officers to take immediate action to prevent such incidents from occurring.

He emphasised the importance of sensitising all bus drivers, conductors and staff to ensure the comfort and convenience of women passengers during their journey.

The minister reiterated that no woman should face any difficulties while travelling on buses in the future, warning that strict action would be taken against any future complaints.

Women in Delhi can avail free bus travel by boarding any government bus from any bus stop, where the bus conductor issues a pink ticket to them.

Introduced in 2019, this scheme has witnessed remarkable participation, with over 112 crore women utilising the pink pass on Delhi government buses.

Currently, Delhi has a fleet of 7,379 buses, including both DTC and cluster buses. On average, these buses transport 4.1 million passengers daily, with approximately 31 per cent of them being women.