Women’s collective to kick off Bengaluru tour demanding more city bus stops

The ‘bus stop’ will be placed behind Baiyappanahalli Metro Station, Hosa Nagar, from October 5-7. It will then move to Seegehalli and Priyanka Nagar on October 9-10, to the AKG area on October 16-18, and to Byrasandra on October 20-21.

The mobile bus stop installation will travel through these routes to address critical gaps in accessibility and connectivity and also act as a symbol for informal women’s voices collectively demanding to be connected to the grid through a bus stop in their neighbourhood, said an Alli Serona member.

“Designed to resemble a wooden, scaled-down version of a typical bus stop, the hyper-creative installation will have a ticket counter, seating arrangements, a shared space for waiting, and a newsstand. The seats of the bus stop are interactive in nature wherein one person taking a seat is equivalent to one vote signifying the need for a bus stop in that particular area. The ceiling of the installation is made of Kowdhi – a north Karnataka handicraft made of trash,” she added.

In fact, the need for the campaign arose as a result of the findings of an audit conducted by Alli Serona in partnership with Benga Walks and the Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA). The members of these social groups visited 10 informal settlements across Bengaluru with a focus on measuring the accessibility of bus stops for women working in the informal sector. The findings revealed that while some settlements had easy access to bus stops, most women had to walk nearly 1-2 km to find a bus stop. The campaign is an outcome to address the need for access to bus stops and connect women to the bus grid.

Tanisha Arora, creative strategist of Alli Serona, said, “Most of these informal women walk far distances in search of a bus stop. The long-distance walks actually prevent them from exploring economic and social opportunities beyond their neighbourhood. As a result, bus stops close to their neighbourhood will not only translate into better livelihood, they will also allow them access to better education, health care and other services. If not bus stops, then the BMTC can add feeder bus services to cater to the needs of these… women.”

“Through this installation we have created a platform for women working in the informal workforce of the city, to increase their participation in decision-making for improved public transport services for all,” added Suresha Kantha B, a community coordinator from APSA for the Jayanagara constituency.

Upon reaching the bus stop installation, visitors will also be provided with a questionnaire that will seek to identify issues hindering women from benefiting from the Shakti Scheme.