KTM Berhad (KTMB) introduced its women-only coach for its commuter train service some six years back but there still are “blissfully ignorant” male passengers who make their way into the compartments reserved for ladies.

KTMB Tourism and Events Unit head Mohd Noordin Kimi said he found it hard to understand how men could enter the women-only coach by mistake because there were ample signages to show that certain coaches were reserved for women.

Pink-coloured ‘women-only’ stickers are placed inside and outside the coaches concerned and on the doorway to differentiate them from the rest. And commuter stations even have a designated waiting area for ladies.

“The stations also announce from time to time that the third and fourth coaches of the approaching train are only for women... this is to prevent men from boarding those compartments,” he told Bernama.

He said in some cases, men may board the women-only coach by mistake, probably because they were first-time KTMB commuter service users or were in a hurry to catch the train.

“But then, there are also some men who deliberately enter coaches meant only for women,” he said, adding that there have been instances of male passengers, especially foreigners, boarding the women’s coach and feigning ignorance.

“When the female passengers tell them to go to another coach, the men choose to ignore them. There had been occasions in the past when KTMB staff had to be summoned to get the men to move elsewhere,” he said.

Increase number of women-only coaches

Mohd Noordin said married couples and families comprising male and female members who board the women-only coaches together usually do not like to be separated.

Still the other women passengers can tell the men to leave the coach. If they are stubborn, report them to the KTMB staff or the auxiliary police on duty at the next station,” he said.

He said KTMB used to have auxiliary policemen on board the commuter trains but discontinued the practice due to the high costs involved.

College student and regular commuter train user Nur Ajeerah Zulkifli, 23, said she has seen men seated in the women-only coaches several times.

“If it’s a genuine mistake, then the men concerned will leave the coach after being told that they are in a women’s coach. But if they refuse to budge, then we know they deliberately entered the coach,” said Nur Ajeerah, who usually uses the commuter train to travel from KL Sentral to Rawang.

She hoped that KTMB could allocate more coaches for women as the existing two coaches for women were not enough during peak periods, considering that many women used the commuter train service.

Lack of etiquette

Recruitment consultant Muhammad Zulhakim Zulkifli, 24, who uses the KTMB service to commute to work daily, said he was appalled at the lack of etiquette among the train passengers.

“We’ve male passengers entering coaches plastered with signs clearly stating ‘women-only’.

“Then, we have passengers who are in such a hurry to board the train that they don’t wait for the passengers inside the train to disembark first,” he said.

He also regretted the attitude of passengers who refuse to give up their seats to senior citizens or pregnant women who are forced to stand throughout the journey.

“Worse still, I’ve seen able-bodied people seated in areas meant for people with special needs,” he said.

Mohd Noordin, meanwhile, said besides the Klang Valley, KTMB’s commuter service was also available in the central and northern sectors of the country.

Its central sector services comprise the Tanjung Malim to Port Klang, Batu Caves and Seremban routes, as well as the Seremban-Gemas and Seremban-Tampin routes.

Its northern sector services comprise the Butterworth-Kamunting, Padang Besar-Butterworth and Gurun-Butterworth routes.

- Bernama