MORE men than women have been seen riding in the women-priority carriages on the city’s Metro, according to the Beijing Youth Daily.

The women-priority carriages were initiated on Metro lines 1, 3, 4 and 5 June 26, becoming the first such Metro carriages in the country. Pink signs reading, “Priority Carriages for Women,” have been installed on the gates and inside the Metro carriages.

However, judging from the current situation, female Metro riders aren’t really given priority in the “ladies first” carriages.

A reporter with the Beijing Youth Daily observed the carriages and found that in one “ladies first” carriage there were 26 males and only 12 females. The report also said that some women failed to board overcrowded trains during peak hours even though they supposedly had been given priority.

In response to doubts over the priority carriages for women, Shenzhen Metro Group (SZMG) said that the carriages were designed to give priority to women, not to exclude male riders.

The move to designate women-priority carriages on the Metro was made to curb sexual harassment by providing a separate room for women on public transportation, but surveys found that some people think the best way to prevent sexual harassment is to reinforce the punishment for molestation, instead of segregating men and women.

The SZMG said that the special carriages do not segregate male passengers and female-priority cars could help avoid unnecessary conflicts, adding that it is not an enforcement of legislation, and “ladies first” does not necessarily mean “ladies only.”

A survey by sznews.com showed that more than 65 percent of respondents said women-priority carriages were not necessary. (Liu Yu, Chen Zixi)