Swati Maliwal’s Inspection At Delhi Bus Stops

Swati Maliwal, the Chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), inspected bus stops in the national capital and engaged with female passengers to address concerns about women’s safety. She expressed alarm over numerous complaints regarding poorly lit bus stops and streets across Delhi. Maliwal visited the Lalita Park and Ramesh Park bus stops on the first day and the Baprola and Bakkarwala bus stops on the second day, finding all locations inadequately illuminated.

Women have reportedly complained about dysfunctional streetlights in these areas for a year. Maliwal emphasized that if bus stops and streets remain poorly lit, ensuring women’s safety becomes challenging. The DCW chief is issuing notices to the Delhi government, urging immediate action to fix lighting issues at bus stops and streetlights. She called for the suspension of officers responsible for streetlights and proposed a stringent system where officers failing to rectify dysfunctional lights within 48 hours would face suspension and penalties.

Maliwal’s actions were prompted by ongoing concerns about women’s safety in Delhi, underscored by a recent incident where a girl traveling from Kanpur to Jaipur was allegedly gang-raped by two drivers. The incident bears similarities to the infamous 2012 Delhi gang rape, which had a profound impact on the nation.

The DCW chief is advocating for a robust system to hold accountable those responsible for maintaining streetlights and ensure swift corrective actions to enhance women’s safety in public spaces.

_{Repurposed article originally published in the Statesman}