Pune: To address the growing safety concerns of female passengers traveling on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses, the Akshara Centre, a NGO, has launched a new initiative to raise awareness. Akshara Centre has produced three impactful awareness videos to educate and empower female commuters.
The videos, created under the concept "Show Them Their Place," emphasize the need for women to stand up to harassment and make use of their rights.
Each video is 30 seconds long and highlights situations where women can take action against inappropriate behavior. These videos are being broadcast on digital screens across MSRTC’s bus stations, reaching millions of passengers every day.
So far, over 9 million viewers have watched these videos, and they have elicited more than 86,000 responses, signaling that the initiative is resonating with the public.
The increased number of female passengers can be attributed to the state government’s half-fare travel scheme, which has made bus travel more accessible for women.
With over 5.5 million passengers using MSRTC services daily, of which 2.2 million are women, the need for such awareness campaigns has never been more urgent.
The NGO has established a comprehensive code of conduct for drivers and conductors, and has trained over 13,500 personnel from 26 BEST depots on how to ensure women’s safety. Building on this experience, Akshara Center has now extended its efforts to MSRTC buses.
Dr. Nandita Shah, co-founder of Akshara Centre, expressed her concern: “The growing number of women passengers on MSRTC buses is a positive development, but it has also exposed them to various forms of harassment.
Many women remain silent due to fear. Through these videos, we aim to encourage them to speak out and take a stand against inappropriate behavior. The campaign has already begun to make a difference.”
Abhijit Bhosale, Public Relations Officer of MSRTC, shared insights into the organization’s involvement in the campaign.
He said, “The awareness videos are currently being displayed on digital screens at 300 of our 560 bus stations, and they will soon be shown at the remaining stations. Additionally, we are preparing to train drivers and conductors to handle such situations more effectively.”
