Nearly ninety percent of women and children using public transport services in the country are subjected to some form of harassment in those vehicles, with only a meagre four percent of such incidents reported to the Police, a survey made by the United National Population Unit has revealed.
Director, Institute of Social Development Muttu Sivalingam disclosed this at an awareness programme for school van and taxi drivers held at the Kandy Police Headquarters Auditorium on March 27. Sivalingam said those women and children face harassment at the hands of drivers, conductors, assistants as well as passengers too.
He said laws alone would not help arrest this trend unless bus and van crews and the travelling public themselves lend their assistance towards it.
"Women and children travel in public transport for a duration of two to three hours and the respective drivers and conductors should take the responsibility of ensuring their security," he said.
Kandy SP Sisira Kumara said it was the duty of the people engaged in each profession to ensure professional dignity and honour.
As it was natural to blame the entire Police service when a member of Police was engaged in any wrongdoing, people blamed the entire public transport service when a single driver or conductor committed a wrongful act.
Kandy Police Children and Womens Bureau OIC Inspector Mrs Ayesha Bandara also spoke.
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