Nepal’s Free Blue Bus Service Aims to Reduce Risks Faced by Women

Nepal’s government has introduced a free blue bus service for women, aiming to address the practical difficulties they face in public transportation, including sexual harassment, insecurity, and overcrowding.

Minister for Women, Children, Senior Citizens, and Social Welfare Sita Badi said the service was not intended to promote gender inequality or create a permanent division between men and women. Instead, it was a targeted and necessary measure to reduce the existing unequal risks faced by women.

Responding to questions raised by lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday, Minister Badi clarified that the government’s primary goal was to create an environment where both men and women could travel safely, respectfully, and comfortably in public transportation.

She emphasized that the blue bus service was not a short-term announcement for publicity or popularity, but a long-term effort to improve the overall public transportation system. The government is committed to making the public transportation system gender-friendly, safe, dignified, accessible, and responsive, Minister Badi added.