Cuttack: Following an instruction from the State Commission for Women (SCW), the State Transport Authority (STA) today asked all RTOs to ensure allowing women as the first passenger to enter into buses.
The STA Secretary has written a letter to all RTOs in this regard on Friday.
A social activist Ghasiram Panda had filed a petition before Odisha State Commission for Women alleging that women as first passengers are not allowed to enter buses. Panda, in his petition, alleged that a woman faced discrimination as she was prevented from boarding a bus as a first passenger at Baramunda bus stand in Bhubaneswar.
Acting on the petition, the Commission yesterday directed the State Transport Commissioner to ensure that the women passengers are not prevented from boarding a bus as first passengers.
In this background, the STA said permits are granted by STA/ RTA to stage carriages on different routes to carry passengers on payment of bus fare as notified by this office. So, the owner or conductor of a stage carriage cannot deny any women as first passengers to enter into buses, the Secretary said.
“Any deviation shall amount to violation of permit conditions and punishable under Section 192A of M.V. Act, 1988,” he warned.
The RTOs have been asked to check stage carriages regularly and whenever it was detected that the owner/conductor of stage carriage denying women as first passenger to enter into the bus, e-challan will be drawn against the owner of said vehicle under Section 192A of M.V. Act, 1988 and report compliance.
