Women-Only Train Carriages Are Being Considered by U.K. Opposition Leadership Contender

Women only carriages in trains will be considered by U.K. Labour Party leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn in order to tackle the rise in assaults in public places.

He will propose a pilot scheme for trains where women-only carriages will be available after 10pm, reports the Independent. Corbyn also wants a 24-hour hotline for reporting harassment and assault.

“My intention would be to make public transport safer for everyone from the train platform, to the bus stop to the mode of transport itself,” Corbyn told the BBC. “I would consult with women and open it up to hear their views on whether women-only carriages would be welcome – and also if piloting this at times and [on] modes of transport where harassment is reported most frequently would be of interest.”

This comes after British Transport Police (BTP) recorded a 25% rise in sexual offences on trains and in stations between 2014 – 2015.

Some disagree with his plans, saying that it evades the issue of harassment rather than fix it. “It seems to say ‘let’s segregate people’, rather than tackling the issue,” Nicky Morgan, U.K.’s Minister for Women and Equalities, told the BBC.

Compartments for women were last used in British railways in 1977 and countries that run carriages for women include India, Mexico, Indonesia and Japan.