Flagging concerns about women safety, DCW chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday sent a notice to the Public Works Department over dark stretches of road in east Delhi without any functioning street lights.
She asked the PWD chief engineer for the east zone to inform the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) about the reasons behind the bus stops remaining dark, and since when have these street lights and bus shelter lights not been functional.
She also asked the PWD official to state the measures taken by it for women safety at the bus shelters. She sought details of officials behind maintaining the street lights, directing the PWD official to provide the information by December 23.
Maliwal has been receiving several complaints regarding dark spots at bus stops in the city, and keeping this as a priority, the rights body inspected several bus stops to assess the safety concerns for women.
On Friday, DCW member Vandana Singh inspected Ramesh Park bus stop, and was shocked to find that there were no lights there, an official statement said. Furthermore, the street lights on that stretch of the road were non-functioning, while the area behind the bus stop was also deserted.
Maliwal also travelled in buses packed with people and interacted with women, who mentioned that they felt unsafe at deserted bus shelters.
She stated that even after 12 years of Nirbahya’s horrific ordeal, Delhi remains unsafe for women and girls.
”The bus stops that I inspected were just near Akshardham. If such a central area is also pitch dark, one can imagine what must be happening in outer areas. I have issued a notice to the Public Works Department (PWD). We will take strict action on the matter. The government must ensure that bus stops and streets are made safe for women and girls,” the DCW chief has said.
Meanwhile, the Commission has sought details of complaints received since January 1, 2022 regarding dark spots at these bus stops and streets and action taken on each complaint.