Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) The exclusive women’s coach on Delhi Metro trains has been welcomed with open arms by the fairer sex much to the chargin of male travellers.

“It is a relief to get inside a crowded coach and not brush against a man. However, there were a few stations where men entered the ladies coach, some intentionally, some unintentionally,” said an elated Shelja Jathar, working with an MNC in Connought Place area of the capital.

“There should be more coaches reserved for women to ease out our travelling woes and the guards standing on the platforms should not allow any man to get inside the exclusive coach,” Jathar said.

The first coach of every Metro train is reserved for women. It can seat 43 passengers and has standing room for at least three times more. Children up to 12 years - irrespective of gender - the elderly and the physically challenged are also allowed to travel in this coach.

However, the move is not enjoying much popularity among the male commuters. Fuming men were seen giving envious looks to their female counterparts as they jostled for breathing space in the crowded unreserved coaches while women strolled around in their private space.

A few women passengers complained that security guards and volunteers deployed to inform people about the new arrangements were nowhere to be seen and men kept entering the forbidden coach despite the “Women only” sign on the platform and repeated announcements on the public address system.

“There were no volunteers and guards deployed after Rajiv Chowk towards Huda city centre and men kept pouring into the coach,” said Richa Agarwal, a student of Delhi University.

The Delhi government had sent a proposal for a reserved coach to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) after a survey found that almost 50 percent of women felt unsafe using public transport in Delhi.

A DMRC spokesperson had earlier told reporters that around 450 women commuter facilitation agents will guide passengers and platforms have been marked with stickers to indicate the location of the reserved coach.