Transjakarta Should Add A Women's Special Fleet Or Separate Seats For Male Passengers

Transajaratta Bus/ Photo: Bitor Ekin Putra

Responding to the many cases of sexual harassment on Transjakarta buses, observers from the Darmaningtyas Institute for Transportation Studies (INSTRAN) suggested that TransJakarta add a special fleet of women, even to microtrans units (Angkots), to reduce the risk of sexual harassment.

"I propose TransJakarta to add special operations for women, even microtranss that are currently not (there)", said Darmaningtyas, quoted from Antara, Sunday, February 26.

He explained that adding a special female fleet would provide a sense of comfort and security to the community because the survey results in 2008 stated that 83 per cent of the 800 respondents, most of whom were women, agreed to the separation.

"Because it gives you a sense of comfort", said Darmaningtyas.

Even if it has not been able to add a special female fleet, he said, TransJakarta can arrange the sitting position in the microtrans as done on their big bus, namely the front of the bus is specifically for women, while the rest is mixed.

As for the microtrans, according to Darmaningtyas, it can be done by specifying the side of the seat, such as a special man sitting on the left side of the vehicle, while a woman is on the right.

"Why the right side? Because 70 per cent of microtrans passengers are women", he said.

According to Darmaningtyas, the addition of a special female fleet should also be applied to other types of transportation such as KRL, MRT, or LRT considering the behaviour of sexual harassment does not only occur in TransJakarta.

"I think this harassment is not only for TransJakarta but also other modes such as in KRL. Because the problem was that during the narrowness of passengers, it was intentional or not, unavoidable sexual harassment", he said.

The sexual harassment of female Transjakarta bus passengers occurred again in the series of buses on the Non-BRT route Kampung Melayu-Tanah Abang via Cikini, Saturday, February 25.

The perpetrator was successfully secured by Transjakarta security officers and handed over to the Central Jakarta Metro Police

Head of the Transjakarta Corporate Secretary Division, Apriastini Bakti Bugiansri, confirmed the incident of harassment of the passenger. According to him, the incident occurred when the victim was sitting on the bus.

Suddenly the victim felt abused by a man sitting next to her.

"The victim immediately reported to the driver of the incident. The victim swiftly arrested the perpetrator of harassment and handed over the perpetrator to the Central Jakarta Metro Police for legal proceedings", said Apri, Sunday, February 26. April said the victim was known to be a minor. So the victim needs assistance from her parents and family when reporting to the police.