Khalida Niaz
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched ‘The Safe Women’ mobile application again after some modifications for protection of women from Abbottabad and Mardan travelling in pink busses.
Some more facilities have been introduced for women passengers in the app. A subscriber of the app can know the movement of the pink bus and the timing of entry of the bus to her area. After registering with the app, the women subscribers can also form a friend list and can inform family members about her location with just a click in case of any emergency situation. Women subscribers can also share their location with trustworthy people through this app.
Aqsa, who worked as hostess in pink bus in Mardan for four months, said while talking to TNN that no one knew about the app till she was a hostess as it was non-functional at that time.
“We were given the mobile phones, but this app was non-functional. I don’t think any woman knows about this app,” she said.
Aqsa said most women in Mardan are not educated and they have nothing to do with smartphone apps – all they want is safe journey in the bus with subsidized fare.
Sidra, a social activist in Mardan, said she had a good experience of travelling in a pink bus in summer as air conditioner facility was also available. She said she doesn’t know anything about The Safe Women app. She said introduction of app for women is a good thing, but at least an awareness campaign must be carried out to inform the women about the use of the app.
KP Information Technology Board spokesman Danish Babar said an awareness campaign about The Safe Women app will be initiated soon. He said training will be given university students in Mardan and Abbottabad who will pass on the knowledge about the app to their family women. He said the app is only for those women who travel in pink buses. He said the app was initially introduced on March 18, 2018, but Transport Department and other relevant institutions suggested some updates which have been included now.
Danish Babar said emergency numbers of law enforcing agencies have also been shared on the app. The re-launching ceremony of the app was held in Peshawar on January 15 in Peshawar.
Local sources said the pink bus project in Mardan is facing failure as only one bus out of seven is in running condition and the rest are not being used. The contractor said he is facing huge losses because of low response form women passengers.
Aqsa Khan said the government should take steps for making pink bus services successful because it is very beneficial for women passengers. She said introduction of a mobile app for just one bus is beyond comprehension.