More seats for women, sr citizens on BEST buses

Small mercies, after long struggle?!
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More seats for women, sr citizens on BEST buses
Somit Sen, TNN, Jul 21, 2010, 01.45am IST

MUMBAI: Here's some good news for women and senior citizens travelling
by BEST buses. The transport undertaking has increased reserved seats
for women from the existing six seats to 12 seats per bus; senior
citizens will now have not just two but four reserved seats. The new
quotas will come into effect from August 1. The reservation for
handicapped persons remains the same.

The reservation has been revised not just for the ordinary red buses,
but also for the double-deckers and the air-conditioned buses. In
double-deckers, women will now have 10 reserved seats-which means four
additional seats-and "senior citizens & handicapped" will have three
commonly reserved seats.

In the AC buses, women previously had only two reserved seats. This
has now been increased to six, while senior citizens will get two
seats which they will share with handicapped persons and two more
seats reserved exclusively for them.

The reservation in midi buses was two for women, two for handicapped
and one for senior citizen. It has now been increased to six for
women, two for handicapped and three for senior citizens.

"There was a huge demand to reserve more seats for women and senior
citizens. In fact, I was flooded with several letters and phone calls
from Mumbaikars,'' said BEST committee chairperson Sanjay Potnis.

Bowing to public demand, the BEST management decided to increase the
reserved seats quota. BEST general manage Om Prakash Gupta said, "We
respect all senior citizens and women who travel by our buses daily.
We want to ensure that their travel is less cumbersome and that they
dont have to go standing."

During the committee meeting on Tuesday, when the proposal for
additional reserved seats was being cleared, committee member Sunil
Ganacharya pointed out that he had been pursuing the case and raising
it at several meetings in the past. "It was actually a complaint from
a well-known Marathi composer which prompted me to raise the issue,''
he said. "The composer travels regularly by BEST buses to his
recording studio. He had to often travel standing in the bus and this
was frustrating,'' he stated. Ganacharya thanked Gupta for introducing
additional seats for not just senior citizens but also women.

Committee member Ravi Raja from the Congress welcomed the BEST
decision, stating that the general public can occupy the seats in the
absence of women and senior citizens. "But as soon as a woman or a
senior citizen boards the bus, the seat has to be vacated
immediately,'' he said, adding that conductors should strictly enforce
the new rule from August 1.
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Senior Citizens National Protest Day: 16th August 2010

Senior Citizens National Protest Day: 16th August 2010

An Appeal to Senior Citizens

From Dr P Vyasamoorthy, Joint Coordinator, JAC for the Protest Day

Today, senior citizens, are more than 10 Crores out of a population of around 113 Crores in our Country. According to HelpAge 66% of them can not afford two square meals a day, 90% of them have no social or health security, 73% are illiterate and can only survive by doing physical labour, and 37% are lonely cursing their age.

Our Government signed the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in 2002 when it committed to halve the old age poverty by 2015 but the reverse is happening in our Country. According to another estimate while the population of BPL category has gone down below 22%, that in case of the Older Persons has exceeded 66%. This segment thus is becoming larger and larger at the same time is getting poorer and poorer. The poorest among the poor are Senior Citizens.

All our governments - at the center and at state levels - have been consistently ignoring and neglecting the welfare of senior citizens. Major problems of neglect comprise of: Non Implementation of NPOP & MWPSC Act 2007, lack of health cover and inadequate old age pension for the poor. Take a look at this Gross Governmental Neglect

1. 63 years have gone and we still do not have social or health security
2. NPOP not implemented by a single State even after 11 years
3. MWPSC Act has become fully operational only in 3 States/UT’s
4. More than 50% BPL Senior Citizens[65+] either do not get any Old Age Pension or are paid much less than the stipulated minimum

Therefore , a large number of Senior Citizens Federations, confederations, State and national level organizations, big NGOs like HelpAge, Harmony, Dignity, Nightingale - totaling about thirty – have come together to observe “Senior Citizens National Protest Day” on 16th August 2010. On this day there will be silent and dignified protest by senior citizens in all state capitals, district head quarters and even at Mandal level. Representatives will meet the authorities like CM, Collector, MLA, MP etc and submit memorandums of demands. A common memorandum to Prime Minister is being sent from all State level and National level organizations.

On the Protest day, Seniors will take out a procession, form a human chain, hold meetings, wear black ribbon bands, distribute pamphlets and posters, display slogans, perhaps also wear visors with the caption: “ Empower the Elderly” etc. We will try to enlist the support of media – both print and electronic – and through their cooperation bring our problems to the notice of the public. Prior to that in the preceding month, there will be articles and stories in the press, online signature campaigns, articles in blogs and forums, press meetings, post card campaign etc to build up the momentum.

After all, we senior citizens form nearly 20% of ‘effective electorate’ and if we stand united the results can only be positive. For uptodate information read: http://scnpd.posterous.com/ and send your comments, if any. Please come and join in large numbers in observing the protest day and thus strengthen our, rather, your hands.