Friday, 25 April
Petition calls for dedicated FLINTA-only carriages in BVG vehicles
More than 15,000 people have signed a petition launched last week calling on Berlin’s public transport operator BVG to introduce FLINTA-only carriages. The goal: to offer a safer space for women, lesbian, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender passengers.
The petition suggests designating the rear sections of trains, trams, and buses as FLINTA-only zones, marked by purple seats to signal a protected space “away from where harassing men often sit.” It was started by Alex Born, who told rbb that she now cycles everywhere after repeated harassment on the U-Bahn. “Someone stood behind me, rubbed against me, and grabbed me. We Flinta people experience this getting too close, these looks, every day,” she said.
While overall crime on Berlin’s public transport declined in 2024, the number of reported sexual assaults rose significantly- up 15 percent from the previous year, according to data released in February. Of the 380 recorded assaults in 2024, the majority of victims were women, and the vast majority of perpetrators men.
The idea of women-only carriages isn’t new. Last November, Green Party MP Antje Kapek brought the proposal forward following a rape case on the U3 in Zehlendorf. But so far, the BVG remains unmoved, referring to existing safety measures: panic buttons, emergency call stations, and more visible security patrols on select U-Bahn lines. The operator also argued that the newer, open-plan trains with continuous compartments already offer greater safety.
