A resident of Shymkent has proposed launching dedicated buses in Kazakhstan for pregnant women and mothers with young children. The idea, floated on social media, quickly spread online, but city administrations in major cities did not support it, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to 31 Channel, the Kazakh woman suggested that special transport, preferably pink, serve only women and children. In the author's view, such buses would make travel far more comfortable for women with small children and strollers.
The unusual proposal split users into two camps. Some believe the initiative is long overdue, while others are convinced that existing buses should be made more convenient rather than introducing separate routes.
As expected, city administrations in Kazakhstan's major cities did not back the idea. Astana said its current route network is designed for all passengers regardless of gender, so special buses are not under consideration. Almaty voiced a similar position.
Shymkent also reviewed the proposal. "Launching additional buses could increase the transport load on roads and create traffic jams. In addition, covering all stops within a separate route would be difficult," the Shymkent Department of Passenger Transport and Roads said.
Kazakhstanis, meanwhile, questioned how fair it is to separate passengers by gender. After all, difficulties on public transport are faced not only by mothers with strollers but also by elderly people, people with disabilities and even fathers with young children.
"It's really about the buses and the transport themselves, how they are built, how they are designed. And second, it's probably about the passengers themselves, who don't give up their seats to women with children, pregnant women, old people, elderly people. It's probably more about our mentality or our upbringing," said Togzhan Kozhanova, a member of the National Council on Women's Affairs and Family and Demographic Policy.
The practice of separating passengers already exists in Kazakhstan: trains, for instance, have dedicated women's carriages. City administrations say buses also have designated seats for pregnant women, elderly people and passengers with children.