Hanoi authorities are considering "women-only" bus routes to counter sexual harassment on public transport.

The vice chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Quoc Hung has instructed the Hanoi Transport Services Corporation (Transerco) to examine routes that will serve women only, focusing on female students and workers during rush hours.

Transerco said its complaint hotline received some 43,000 calls from passengers between April and November. The complaints led to five cases of sexual harassment. The company said they mostly involved inappropriate gestures directed at women.

The company has linked up with police in Hanoi to detect and address violations. It has further decided to promote awareness among its drivers to prevent sexual harassment.

A survey by ActionAid, the Research Centre for Gender, and Family and Environment in Development, of 2,046 people in Hanoi and HCM City, found that 57 percent of women believed they were likely to be sexually harassed on the street, with 31 percent saying they were at most risk on public buses.