Women’s waiting lounges and washroom of BMTC bus stations are locked and stinking

The major BMTC bus terminals have been reported to have Women’s waiting rooms devoid of hygiene and basic facilities which arises a lot of questions about how can it cater to the intent of providing safety and comfort to the women commuters.

The waiting rooms built at Yeshwanthpur and Majestic bus stop, under the Centre’s Nirbhaya Fund requires work to be done as Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) deliberates on building similar structures four bus stations.

The team of Deccan Herald had visited the waiting lounges present at Yeshwanthpur and Majestic bus station on Tuesday to review the facilities. The lounge at Yeshwanthpur TTMC did not have adequate facilities and the rooms had filled oil cans and disinfectants. The toilets were stinking and the lounge did not even have an elementary thing like the dustbin.

It was surprising to find out that men milled around the lounge at Majestic station which was locked though a large number of women commuters use it regularly. No information was provided regarding the bus schedule at the bus lounge and the security personnel have no details about it.

The security personnel at the station said to the reporters about the lounge, which was opened after appealing for it, asking the reporter to go to the first-aid centre.

A senior official at BMTC’s first aid centre said, “We have locked up the lounge to avoid possible misuse and open it up if any pregnant woman and lactating mothers demand.”

It was noted that men were squatting around the lounge’s entrance. When asked about the status, one of them said, “This has been locked for several months. We sit here to rest for some time.” When asked about the issues for a response from BMTC’s Managing Director C Shikha, the authorities got into action for resolving the issues. She further revealed that the washroom and the change room was cleaned at the Yeshwanthpur TTMC, and alongside a security guard was placed at the Majestic bus station’s lounge.