Bangkok's public transport unsafe for women, polls say

[webfact]

Bangkok’s public transport unsafe for women, polls say



BANGKOK: -- Bangkok is now ranked as the world's eighth city where travelling on public transport is not safe for women.

But it is safer than its Asean neighbours, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, which came at fifth and seventh place among 16 cities surveyed in the world.

Manila’s public transport is safer for women among the ASEAN countries as it is ranked at the 10th place.

The world’s least safety for women is Bogota in Latin America, according to the survey released today by The Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The foundation’s survey in collaboration with polling company YouGov, asked more than 6,550 women in 15 of the world’s 20 largest capital cities, plus New York (the biggest city in the United States), how safe they felt when travelling on public transport.

The questions addressed five points:

How safe women felt travelling alone at night

The risk of being verbally or physically harassed

The likelihood that other passengers would come to their assistance

Trust that authorities would investigate reports of harassment or violence

The availability of safe public transport

The result showed Bogota and two other Latin American capitals – Mexico City and Lima, Peru – were named as the three cities with the least safe transport systems for women, with more or less 60% of the women surveyed reporting physical harassment while travelling.

Mexico City fared worst, with 64% of the 380 women questioned saying they had been groped or otherwise harassed on public transport. In Lima the figure was 58%.

In London, by contrast, the fourth-safest city in the poll, the figure was only 19%.

Mary Crass, head of policy at the OECD’s International Transport Forum, said the results highlighted the need for more action. “When there is not frequent, reliable, accessible transport, this can affect women and anyone’s ability to access opportunity and notably employment in urban areas, which can make a big difference for women in particular,” she told Reuters.

Violence and the threat of abuse restrict women’s and girls’ freedom of movement,says UN Women on its website. “It reduces their ability to participate in school, work and public life. It limits their access to essential services and their enjoyment of cultural and recreational opportunities. It also negatively impacts their health and well-being.”

So what are cities doing about it?

In New York, rated first for safety by the poll, there is a growing network of CCTV security cameras on streets and transport routes, Help Point kiosks and an obvious police presence.

Tokyo, rated second, was one of the first major capitals to introduce women-only trains in 2000, colour-coding designated areas in pink and employing transit police to enforce rules.

Women-only sections are now also found on buses and trains around the world – from Bogota to Jakarta, Cairo to Kuala Lumpur – while other cities, including London, are debating new safety measures, such as introducing a 24-hour harassment hotline and improving lighting.



Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155759


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-18

[Thongkorn]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

[neverdie]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

It's probably least safest for them.

I'm surprised Sydney didn't get a mention.

[Thian]

Is there a place on the world with more bus-accidents than Thailand?

[ballpoint]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

It's probably least safest for them.

I'm surprised Sydney didn't get a mention.

"The foundation’s survey in collaboration with polling company YouGov, asked more than 6,550 women in 15 of the world’s 20 largest capital cities, plus New York (the biggest city in the United States), how safe they felt when travelling on public transport".

Nah, they would have had to do it in Canberra, where the response would have been "what do you mean, travel at night? I'm tucked up in bed by 8:00"

[happynthailand]

its been known for years that Bangkok is not safe of women day or night

[chainarong]

It is no consolation to be ahead of your ASEAN neighbours whilst you are getting assaulted at a bus stop or in a railcar , so comparing other countries is a waste of time , the purpose of this topic is to point out Thailand is no longer a safe environment for people in particular tourists to feel safe out at night, at one time BKK was regarded at very safe , so what happened...................................................

[KamnanT]

I suspect that, of the categories of questions given, the one that really lowered Bangkok's score was, "Trust that authorities would investigate reports of harassment or violence." I can't imagine the local plod even bothering to scratch their left testicle in response to a report of harassment.

[soalbundy]

It's not safe for anyone

[IsaanUSA]

Is there a place on the world with more bus-accidents than Thailand?

Involving women?

[Happy Grumpy]

Too many drunk farang harassing them.

[cgtours]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

It's probably least safest for them.

I'm surprised Sydney didn't get a mention.

This survey is nonsense. South Africa is not even mentioned. NO WOMAN is safe on Public Transport in South Africa ANYWHERE at any time. not even MEN. Never mind the rest of Africa even worse. . You wlll not find South African Women(if it can be avoided totally never mind these hours) on ANY Public Transport between 08h30 to after 17h30 (after Workers disembark) whatsoever and very very few men ens.

[BuckBee]

I think technically bangkok public transport is not that safe for anyone regardless of race sex or prettiness lol

I remember seeing a female student knocked clean out buy a bus scuffing right in at curb at speed to avoid car in right turn lane thus mirror arm smacking her clean in the head while she stood on pavement on surawong road at the crossing to sab road, Bus never stopped either ... expect she lost all her valuables by time got to an A&E !

Edited March 18, 2016 by BuckBee

[nottocus]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

Safe for lady boys but not safe for anyone on the transport with them.

[neverdie]

So is it ok for Lady boys or not.

It's probably least safest for them.

I'm surprised Sydney didn't get a mention.

This survey is nonsense. South Africa is not even mentioned. NO WOMAN is safe on Public Transport in South Africa ANYWHERE at any time. not even MEN. Never mind the rest of Africa even worse. . You wlll not find South African Women(if it can be avoided totally never mind these hours) on ANY Public Transport between 08h30 to after 17h30 (after Workers disembark) whatsoever and very very few men ens.

I didn't actually conduct the survey, perhaps you should take the issue up with them.

Most surveys are nonesense and statistic are easily skewed to either attack or support a hypothesis.

[neverdie]

I think the biggest issue in the whole story is the over exposed photograph of VM, what on earth were they thinking? Surely a better file picture of the great landmark exist and it nearly always 24/7 has some form of public transport negotiating it.......in some wild terrifying manner.

[Bluespunk]

Too many drunk farang harassing them.

Yeah, right, that's the problem.

Dear lord...

[TomyumFarangSe]

Paris safer in public transportation than Bangkok for women ? hard to believe...