BY NED GAGAHE
In a plea to public transport providers, a young mother is speaking out about the urgent need to respect of female passengers.
The mother who wishes to remain anonymous, shared her experience with the Island Sun recently recounted her horrifying ordeal after an incident earlier this week.
As a regular client of a well-known taxi service in Honiara (name withheld), the mother called for a cab to transport her from her residence in Kaibia to her workplace at Point Cruz.
However, what should have been a 10-15 minutes ride turned into a harrowing experience, prompting her to raise her voice on behalf of women elsewhere.
“On the way, he started asking me, disrespectful questions then started touching my legs and hands.
“Despite my pleas for him to stop, he ignored.
“The worst happened as we approached the King Solomon Hotel, he reached for my chest and then to my breast.
“I fear the worst might yet to come, if I fought back, he might harm me, so I tried to keep calm at the same time using my hands to keep him from touching me.
“The window for me to escape arrived when he slowed down at the raintree in front of King Solomon Hotel.
“I quickly opened the door and escaped. As soon as I backed out, I took a photo of the cab’s number plate.” The mother said.
she confirmed she is pursuing the harassment case with police.
Meanwhile, the mother believes her story highlights the critical importance of ensuring that public transport services maintain a safe and respectful environment for all passengers, particularly women.
