Many city buses of several transport groups including Trans Silva Paribahan, Victor Classic, Bikash Paribahan, Sky Line, Taranga Plus, Akash Paribahan, Rajanigandha, Moumita Paribahan, Bahan Paribahan, Monjil, and Dishari Paribahan have covered their bus windows with plastic sheets or paper in recent months; which is blocking view. Passenger inside the bus can’t see outside and people outside can’t see what’s happening inside the bus.
It has become a safety threat for passengers. Misconducting with passengers and incident of sexual harassment of female passengers have increased in recent years. This new trend of covering bus window glasses have added new concern among passengers, especially to female passengers. On January 10, this year another garments worker was raped and killed in a running bus.
But covering bus windows is in violation to BTRA rule and police directives. Professor Md Mizanur Rahman a transport expert from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has said, this new trend may be linked to unwanted incidents with female passengers. However Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Kamal Ahsan has promised to take this issued seriously.
