Hyderabad: A 23-year-old woman attempted sexual assault on Monday, concerns about commuting on public transport and traveling on MMTS trains. The incident reiterated the call for stronger security measures in the public transport system.
This episode was reportedly not isolated. In many cases, men enter women’s reserved cars and areas for MMT and subway trains and RTC buses, thus undermining the safety and security of female commuters.
Thirdandadapani Pawan Kumar, a regular MMTS user and member of the Long&MMTS association, stressed the urgent need for increased safety on trains and train stations. “Either the more security personnel were proposed from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) or the Government Reserve Police (GRP). Before the Covid lockdown, RPF officials conducted mandatory inspections on each MMTS train, but these measures have been weakened since the restrictions,” he said.
Authorities and relevant citizens called for a significant increase in police deployment. Sources show that while about 1,900 GRP personnel are currently monitoring the Central Railway’s railway, Telangana alone needs to deploy about 1,000 officials. In addition, the RPF in the SCR operates 2,345 personnel, with 930 vacancies and relies on temporary home guards to fill the gaps.
Critics also point out that infrastructure issues around railroad tracks, rupture of barricade walls and open spaces has become hot spots for antisocial elements, which exacerbates overall security issues. Experts recommend that commuters, especially those traveling alone, should choose higher occupancy compartments until security is enhanced.
Running 88 MMTS services daily and running through nearly 700 railway stations in the area requires immediate and effective action. As debate on women’s safety continues in public transport, the bureau is under increasing pressure to implement strong security measures before further events occur.
