After a successful trial, the city of Busan, South Korea, is now planning to introduce a Bluetooth-powered pink light system to help pregnant train and bus passengers who need to sit down.
As we have mentioned in our previous post, the round pink lights next to priority seats in carriages or buses are activated by a sensor carried by pregnant travelers when they board the train.
It was tested by 500 women in April.
Busan now hopes to expand the system to all train and bus lines by the end of the year, Reuters reports.
Many pregnant travelers say they have difficulty finding seats on public transportation during rush hour, while other passengers say they are not always sure if someone is pregnant, especially in the early stages, and do not want to offend a woman.
The solution to the problem comes in the form of a Bluetooth, which has a six-month battery life, attached to the outside of the bag or coat of pregnant women who choose to get one. The original Pink Light Campaign (website in Korean) was a collaboration between the city council and local businesses.
In the United Kingdom, pregnant travelers on the London Underground can choose to wear a badge that says “Baby On Board” to warn other passengers that they may need to sit down.
However, some women are not happy about making their pregnancy public.
"I found the level of attention disturbing when I wore the 'Baby On Board' badge - I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel with pink lights flashing every time I got on a train," said Ellie Gibson from parenting website Scummy Mummies.
