A special ‘Pink Bus’ service has been launched in the capital to provide women with safer and more comfortable public transport.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) inaugurated the service on Tuesday. However, on its first day, one of the pink buses was damaged after being hit by a Balaka Paribahan bus.
Rafiqul Islam, deputy commissioner of the Traffic Tejgaon Division, said the collision occurred near MES after the Balaka bus hit the pink bus shortly after it passed Banani.
Traffic police rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. Legal action has been taken against the Balaka bus, he said.
He added that the incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Traffic Gulshan Division.
No casualties were reported in the collision.
The BRTC launched the Women’s Bus Service (Pink Bus) to make public transport safer and more convenient for women. The service will be operated by female drivers and conductors.
The initiative plans to operate 14 buses on 13 routes. In Dhaka, 10 buses will run on 10 routes, one single-decker and nine double-deckers. Two double-deckers will operate on one route in Chittagong, while two double-deckers will run on two routes in Bogura, according to Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam.
For Rabeya, driving a pink bus is more than a job, it is an opportunity to challenge traditional perceptions and create a new path for herself.
