It is not just plain indifference and apathy which one sees daily in crowded public vehicles. Giving up one’s seat depends on many factors, one being the kind of vehicle one is in. Yet our readers feel that if the vehicles are not overcrowded like they are now, then the question of giving up one’s seat will not arise

 I have to travel by bus daily for my classes. And during my daily commute, I have witnessed senior citizens facing problems. In my view, it is just the upbringing of people that they don’t want to offer their seats to senior citizens. They might have paid the fare but there is something in the world called ‘humanity’. Moreover, it is not only the duty of young male passengers to give up their seats for others but also of the female passengers. The female passengers should try to offer and help seniors citizens with their seats.

The public vehicles carry people indiscriminately and more than it can its capacity while compromising on the comfort and safety of the passengers. So, the number of buses should be increased for the safety and they should carry passengers as per its capacity so that no one including senior citizens suffer. Strict rules regarding the limitation of number of passengers should be made to avoid any accidents and such circumstances.

— Shilpi Agrawal, Kalaiya

 A few days ago, one woman with a baby boarded a packed microbus. As she was carrying a baby, the conductor asked the ladies in the women’s reserved seats to make space but nobody left her seat for her. So, she came towards the back when I offered my seat to her. The incident really upset me.

The indifference in people is due to lack of respect for each other. Also, traffic police has to look into this issue strictly while the conductors and drivers must be fully aware about reservation seats and arrange the seating accordingly.

— Purushottam Adhikari, Naya Thimi

 Kathmandu is perhaps the only metropolitan capital city in the world without a state funded efficient mass transit system. Privately owned local buses and microbuses have terrorised commuters due to their complete disregard for passengers’ safety and comfort. Overloaded vehicles with rough drivers and rude conductors have become the norm. Understandably, the passengers who have to experience such difficulties everyday have become insensitive and indifferent towards the need of disabled and senior citizens. Nevertheless, as a daily commuter myself I can testify that most passengers are willing to help each other whenever difficulties arise. Our government has let us down, but our civic sense is not dead yet.

— Anonymous

 In underdeveloped nations like Nepal everyone cannot afford private vehicles. So, travelling in a crowded public vehicle is inevitable. But during office time, it is a menace. We have heard of accidents and even deaths from crowded vehicles. There seems to be no fixed law for the public transportation system as the buses can carry any number of passengers as they like. This means risking lives of the commuters.

Recently I encountered a difficult situation — I was travelling in an overcrowded bus and the two reserved seats for women were vacant. There were some women but sitting in other seats. I requested them to shift to their reserved seats but they denied.

There is no rigid law regarding the reserved seats. Even smaller public vehicles are forced to spare some reserved seats when they have very few seats unlike other bigger public vehicles. I think there should be a lucid law over the size of the vehicle and the number of reserved seats. Moreover, there should be reserved seats only for elderly and physically impaired people when it comes to smaller vehicles.

— Kamal

 People have become indifferent because they have become insincere and not due to circumstances. Though there are special seats reserved for senior citizens yet most people don’t care about it. It is clearly written above the reserved seats and who they are meant for, but no one pays attention. I travel daily by public vehicles and have seen people both women and men using the reserved seats not caring about the elderly people. Even capable young ladies are doing the same. And this means they lack manners and morality and shows bad upbringing. The busy modern parents are ignoring all this and not teaching their children about it. Slowly and gradually, norms and values are being overshadowed by selfishness. To avoid such incidents, everyone must be careful and follow norms and values. Moreover, rules should be strictly implemented making sure that no one is having problems while travelling .

— Subha Dangol, Bhainsepati

 Firstly the government has no systematic rules and regulations to be implemented in this sector. There is no effective regular observation by the traffic police to reduce such kind of unmanaged system and has become just a spectator. We often see the monopoly and bullying of drivers and conductors. They in fact disregard the passengers’ comfort and just eye the money. Even the passengers are deliberately letting the system spoil.

Somehow, upbringing has a big hand in such circumstances. Due to the modern, hectic, distressing, frustrated and pessimist lifestyle, people have given up on their morality, humanity and responsibility knowingly and have no time to think about anyone else. So when they are travelling, they want to travel comfortably ignoring others. There is a saying — ‘Might is right’ and this is being followed by everyone now-a-days because people don’t have to face any kind of penalties while doing such deeds. So they are continuing their selfish monopoly and bullying whilst other people have become victims.

— Tribikram Ghimire, Chitwan

 Once I was travelling by bus from Gaushala to Bus Park when an old man sat beside me. I was sitting in a ladies seat. However, the conductor started shouting at the old man to not to take the seat which was also a woman-reserved seat. The bus was packed, so he had no other way but to stand. However, many passengers started shouting at the conductor for telling the old man to stand up. This clearly proves that people do feel a need to give priority to people in need. I have seen a lot of such cases happening in local buses in Kathmandu. Given that there are tons of people travelling in public transports, it is close to impossible to get a proper seat in public vehicles, especially during the rush hours. Small vehicles are small if one needs to stand, so people choose to take a bit of space to sit rather than to stand. People choose more to stand up and offer seats in buses that are bigger in size. In some levels, it is selfishness, but to some extent, I think it’s the situation that makes us act in such a manner. I think replacing smaller vehicles with bigger ones is a very good solution because — they have a much comfortable setting to stand up and they are able to carry more number of people. Now the need to maintain wider roads, so that buses and other vehicles can travel smoothly, is also necessary. If one looks properly into it, many things are more or less interrelated to it to make people behave in such a manner.

— Udipta Bohara

 The type of upbringing is what makes us ignore senior citizens. Due to this, elderly citizens in our country really have a difficult time while travelling. Besides, even fit and young female passengers who sit proudly in their reserved seats don’t leave their seats for the old people.

— Pratik Shrestha,

Buddhanagar, Baneshwor

 As a student and girl who is not allowed to travel on public transportation without the company of elders, I’ve have observed that vehicles are usually packed. With not enough seats, people are seen hanging in vehicles. When an occupied seat is available, people want it for themselves without thinking about others.

If the traffic police do their duty to make sure that vehicles are not crowded and everyone gets a seat, there would be no problem at all.

I think that every person in the vehicle should get a seat not only senior citizens.

— Muskan Paswan

 Not everyone is the same. There are people who unwillingly act rude to elders. It’s a matter of shame, but even we must have ignored to give our seats to our senior ones. I think that we are so busy in our own lives where there is so much chaos, we often forget to do our ‘small acts of kindness’ that can make things better. Instead of complaining about the present government, we can acknowledge problems and do things which are within our reach.

Travelling in microbuses is always hectic, not only for us but for everyone. Thus we should keep in mind the difficulties of the older people. Our culture teaches us to respect our elders and love our younger ones. This does not only imply within our family but to everyone. Our acts of kindness can bring a gradual but a beautiful change like Dalai Lama said: ‘Our prime purpose in this life is to help others and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them’.

— Lhakpa Choedon Lama

 I am a regular commuter and I see several old men travelling in buses on a regular basis. Most of the times, if an old man is disabled or very old not being able to stand on a bus, then people give their seats for them. But, if the old guy is strong, healthy enough, then people don’t leave their seat for them, even though that seat is reserved for the old people. We are not habituated to the rule till now. Also, the old men, except for a few, do not speak for their well deserved seats. We are much more convenience-oriented, so we prefer comfort of seats in vehicles without worrying about senior seats or their quotas. Meanwhile in microbuses, it is very congested and even difficult to stand. So, perhaps in such situations people behave with indifference.

— Rajeev Shrestha, Koteshwor

 It is because of the circumstances, because no person is born rude and it’s the situations that have led people to do so. If there is anyone’s fault, it would be the fault of the transport system of the government. Traffic police are capable to make pedestrians, bikers and other private vehicles follow the traffic rules yet ignore the activities that happen with passengers inside public vehicles that can potentially lead to various accidents. The way of handling public transport system both by the owners and authority both is pathetic these days.

There is always two aspects to every story. It sounds very rude not to be generous to provide a seat for a older man/woman, however, standing in microbus would be a terrible experience as compared to standing in a bus, so, in such a situation, not everyone would sacrifice. I think both passengers and owners of such vehicles must think rationally and rather than just thinking about monetary benefits, actually start thinking about the problems their passengers face.

— Anonymous

 Travelling in a micro bus is very difficult for older people or even for us. Most of the time the buses are packed. So, people are unconcerned about the reserved seats, including those for older people. But when I am travelling in public buses, I don’t sit on reserved seats and I leave my seats for older people. While travelling long distance, it is another thing. When I am travelling home (Nuwakot), we have to buy tickets but some older people don’t buy tickets because seats are already occupied and they travel without ticket. At that time, my heart will not allow me to sit while it is difficult to journey long distance on your feet. So, I sit on the seat during half of the journey and give my seat to such old people for the rest of it.

— Nirajan Shrestha, Nayabazar, Sorakhutte

 I was travelling in a microbus from Baneshwor and that microbus had only two seats reserved for females in the front row. Only two females were sitting in the front row and the rest of the seats were unoccupied. And no one dared to take the empty space, not even an old man who was standing but was not fit enough to stand. So, I offered him my seat. But he refused saying, “Nani aile koi mahila aaye uthihalnuparchha (I will have to get up once a female passenger boards the vehicle)”. And I turned around to locate reserved seat for senior citizens, but there was none. This made me feel bad. The government made the policy of reserved seats for both female and senior citizens, but I think we people are not following this policy.

— Manisha Shah, Samakhusi

 An old person’s walking stick is not the symbol of weakness; it is the symbol of their independence. Senior citizens are to be respected. But now-a-days people think giving a look towards them may degrade their standard. I haven’t seen such many situations while travelling in the local transport, but as a college student I find people giving a bit of care to them. Some people are found to be making fun of them. People laugh when people are in difficulty and offer no hands to help them. People want to stay away from senior citizens. It may be due to their habits as well. They burp or do unusual activities which the young people think are shameful. But I have noticed that college or school students actually give their seats to the old seniors citizens. The other problem may be because of

the ‘reserved seats’. People use the unreserved seats causing discomfort to other normal people. Public should be aware to leave seats for people categorised for reserved seats and help them whenever necessary because you can’t expect to be old lovable and wise if you were never young, crazy and helpful.

— Anonymous

 Whether it as a modern trend or post modern compulsion, the possibility of normal schedule in Kathmandu for commoners is circulated by public transport. This is more than a phenomenon now that the sight of a crowded micro is also a boon for the very reason that there is less transport services available. This is purely within my personal experience. I often encounter such situations in my daily journey from home to school (college) and vice versa. Well this might sound a bit absurd, but I have noticed that most people have furiously adapted to evolve themselves to act indifferent towards the old, our senior citizens. Certainly, circumstances have acted as a catalyst but the basis of such act is the human’s upbringing.

When it comes to giving up seats for elderly citizens it is completely based on an individual’s conscience and practical knowledge. Also, it is not always possible to act sociable by giving our seats to the elderly citizens due to unfavourable circumstances. The senior citizens ought to be aware of their rights and be cautious when choosing any sort of public vehicle for their well-being.

— Monisha Sherpa, Simaltar

 Every time I travel in a public vehicle, I experience such situations related to women, reserved seats or fare. Most of the time, I have seen young people ignoring the request of the elderly people or women for the seats. The seats reserved are not sufficient sometimes in that case, the people sitting in the seats have to give their seats to such person on need basis. It is our responsibility as a civilised citizen to respect our elders, differently-abled people or pregnant women or women with babies et cetera and offer the seats to them. Sometimes, dispute arises if someone requests for the seat — I face such a situation when I usually travel home in Kavre. It is the fault of the transportation management committee, not being able to manage the vehicle on demand basis. Due to which passenger has no other option than to take the crowded vehicle to reach one’s destination.

However, we can’t simply blame others and stay faultless. It is also our duty to manage the situation and act smartly and rationally as an educated and civilized citizen of a country. We should respect the rules and abide

by it. I sometimes question myself, if we are losing moral day by day or are we being insensitive towards other people’s feeling? We lack empathy in us and are being more and more self-centred day by day. We are ignoring the core values that our parents, grandparents or teacher have taught us.

— Sulochana Panta, Birta, Kavre

 I have come across several situations where the elderly persons are mostly ignored in crowded public vehicles. Women are given more priority than the elderly persons. I reckon the perception of people must change. We still live in a phase where women consider themselves weak. I don’t think the seats should be differentiated for male and females. Of course, our society has been playing a great part in it. We still are considering woman fragile than man. This sort of situation must be understood by woman than rest of us. Once they realise this problem will definitely end. So, for me the change of perception will bring an end to the problems faced by senior citizens.

— Naresh Adhikari, Maitidevi

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Despite being educated, confident, working, earning well, many women still enjoy special privileges like their husbands/ bothers/ male friends or colleagues opening doors for them, leaving them seats in public vehicles, the concept ‘ladies’ first’, holding their shopping bags (though not heavy) for them, and the list goes on. As the world is advocating women empowerment, what role do such gestures play in this empowerment? Are they just signs of

respect for women, or is it that women are unable to let go of the comfort zone created by such gestures?

­Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, December 9 by 2:00 pm to Features, The Himalayan Times, e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com