Around 56 percent of women are reluctant to use public transport in the capital due to a lack of proper facilities, revealed a study yesterday.

It also said 25 percent women found lack of safety on the city roads and 28.5 percent tend to return home before dusk.

The findings of the study on 200 women titled, “Gender Responsive City Structure”, conducted by ActionAid Bangladesh, were disclosed at an event at its office in Dhaka, marking International Safe Cities for Women Day.

The study also shows 22.5 percent of women brought allegations of harassment by co-passengers, drivers and their helpers.

Some 93.5 percent of women do not use public toilets while 42 percent think that the city's parks are not safe for them.

Around 96 percent do not feel safe using public toilets while 54 percent talked about lack of facilities. Only 5.5 percent use such toilets with males' help, according to the study.

About footpaths, 71.5 percent of respondents said sidewalks and footpaths are occupied with construction materials and hawkers' makeshift shops.

Forty six percent respondents mentioned about the absence of road crossing facilities like zebra crossing, footbridges or underpasses.

Among the women, 17.5 percent talked about violation of traffic rules by drivers and people, 17 percent about reckless driving, and 52.5 percent about bad traffic management.

Speaking on the study, experts said women's involvement is prerequisite for urban planning which will ensure their safety because exercise of their freedom and their dignity face constant threats in the city.

The public transport, footpaths, public toilets are not women-friendly, said Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh.

Architect Iqbal Habib stressed presence of public toilets in buses. He said adequate light should be arranged at railway stations and markets so women can move freely.

Dr Khalilur Rahman, executive board member of ActionAid Bangladesh, said the adolescent girls suffer due to a lack of public toilets.

Prof Akter Mahmud of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Jahangirnagar University also spoke.