Antje Kapek, spokeswoman for transport policy of the Green Party in the Berlin Senate, has said she wanted separate carriages for female passengers in reaction to an increasing number of sexual assaults.
In the past decade, sexual offences in local public transport rose with 260 per cent, daily newspaper Bild reported on November 13.
There were 391 such offences in 2023 alone, or more than one a day, 89 per cent of the victims were female and 90 per cent of the perpetrators were male.
Reportedly, the Berlin Greens first planned to target a wider group of people possibly at risk; female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people (FLINTA).
Now, Kapek said she wanted to focus on women.
“They are exposed to violence more often, [and] have an overarching need for protection,” she said.
Kapek called for distinctly marked zones with visible emergency numbers, constant video surveillance and one or more women-only carriages outside peak hours. These should be positioned close to the driver, she said.
The Green proposal was triggered by a shocking incident in February this year when a 33-year -old man raped a 63-year-old woman on the Berlin subway in the late evening, before he walked out and took a bus.
The politician said she was not afraid on trains themselves but sometimes at railway stations.
Replying to the demand by the Berlin Greens, Maja Weihgold, Head of Communication at the Berlin public transport company BVG said: “We are working hard to ensure that all passengers reach their destination safely and with a good feeling at all times.
“There is already a security centre in any station, which can be reached via an emergency line and information columns. There’s also a police officer stationed there with a direct line to patrolling agents. Additionally, all vehicles have alarm buttons that connect directly to the driver.”
Tokyo is considered a model for the plan, with women-only carriages available until 10 am and between 5 pm and 9 pm. Alongside females, only wheelchair users and boys up to the age of 12 are allowed to board them.
Women-only carriages also operate in India, Iran, Egypt, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
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