Thousands of female students in Tabasco will return to classrooms this Monday, August 31, with a new security measure for their daily commutes: a state policy of zero tolerance against sexual aggressors.
So far in 2026, the shield of impunity surrounding sexual harassment on public transportation has begun to crack, with nine formal complaints of harassment and sexual harassment being registered. Of these, two have already been brought before the courts and have arrest warrants issued by the Gender Prosecutor’s Office.
The increase in complaints — which in previous years barely reached two or three cases annually — reflects a growing social awareness and greater public confidence in reporting these incidents.
Through the comprehensive program “Harassment Is Not Part of the Journey,” promoted by Governor Javier May Rodríguez, the Secretariat of Mobility (Semovi) and the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) have joined forces to ensure that these aggressions stop being an open secret and begin to be punished with the full force of the law.
Punishment Is Being Sought
“We have a permanent campaign against harassment and sexual harassment on public transportation. This was proposed with the state governor, and one of the fundamental points is to recognize that it exists,” said Isabel Yazmín Orueta Hernández, Undersecretary of Mobility.
In an interview with Tabasco HOY Radio, she stated that “as long as a problem is not recognized, it cannot be addressed.”
“We signed an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office in which these cases will not remain solely as administrative sanctions; we are seeking to punish those who commit these types of crimes through criminal proceedings,” she explained.
Technological Hunt
The state strategy has established a security system combining surveillance technology and immediate response.
Public transportation units now have the “Chat With Your Prosecutor” QR code, a tool that directly connects female passengers with an FGE WhatsApp chat to file complaints in real time. They can also receive immediate legal assistance from the State Women’s Institute (IEM).
In addition, the government is deploying public security squads prepared to intercept transportation units along urban routes whenever an emergency call for assistance is received.
Fines Also Increased for Unauthorized Pochimóviles
The penalty for providing motocarro or pochimóvil transportation services without authorization can reach approximately 120,000 pesos.
With an estimated 11,000 motocarros or pochimóviles operating irregularly throughout the state, the Secretariat of Mobility is urgently calling on their owners to come forward and regularize their situation, as inspection operations are already underway.
There Are Already Results
The first results of the campaign against sexual harassers on public transportation include the implementation of the “Chat With Your Prosecutor” QR code, installed in taxis, Urvans and buses to allow passengers to report incidents through WhatsApp in real time.
Mobility Regulations — Article 91
“The drivers or operators of vehicles providing individual public passenger transportation services, in all their modalities, must refrain from carrying out acts that lead to harassment, aggression or sexual violence against users.”
What Drivers Must Not Do
- Ask questions about the private life of the user or users currently in the vehicle.
- Make sexual insinuations.
- Make suggestive looks or lewd gestures.
- Make unnecessary or excessive physical approaches.
- Engage in any type of physical contact that makes the user uncomfortable.
- Use violence to obtain physical contact with the user.
- Engage in any other acts that lead to harassment, aggression or sexual violence.
Article 300 — Sanctions Table in UMA, Serious Violations
Violation 69: It is considered a SERIOUS violation to “harass or sexually harass the user.”
The penalty is a fine of 300 to 500 UMA.
Violation 70: It is considered a SERIOUS violation when “the service provider, driver, operator or fare collector engages in conduct or expresses opinions intended to carry out acts of discrimination, mistreatment, or physical or verbal violence against the public transportation user.”
The penalty is a fine of 300 to 500 UMA.
Criminal Code of the State of Tabasco — Article 159 Bis 1
A prison sentence of two to four years shall be imposed on anyone who:
I. Harasses another person for lascivious or sexual purposes without their consent, regardless of whether the harassment occurs in one or several incidents, sporadically or repeatedly, through verbal, gestural or physical expressions, or through sexual insinuations.
II. Anyone who commits the crime of sexual harassment in facilities, vehicles intended for public passenger transportation, or in any other public or private place.
Women Experience Stares, Brushing and Unwanted Touching
Every morning, hundreds of women in Tabasco board public transportation knowing that their journey will not simply be a commute, but a battle against unwanted looks, touching and harassment.
This was reflected in a survey conducted by Grupo Cantón.
“There have been times when people look at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable, or I have been sitting next to someone who wants to touch my body.”
Yeleni Cristel, Student.
“A pochimóvil driver started following me, but I ran. A friend told me the same thing happened to her. The driver turned onto a street he wasn’t supposed to go down, so she got off.”
Andrea Jiménez, Student.
“In a certain way, they look at you in a morbid manner. I have felt harassed because there are people who don’t respect personal space. They have touched me around the waist or on my buttocks.”
Asire Carballo, Student.
“At the combi stop, they sometimes yell at me and say many ugly things.”
Candy Méndez, Student.
“I was on the combi, and when you’re sitting in a corner, there can be another passenger sitting across from you. There was a man who rubbed his hands against my legs. I froze.”
Abril Cupil, Student.
“You feel inhibited when you’re on public transportation because of men’s stares. Then there are times when people are standing and everyone gets very close together.”
Valeria Judith, Employee.
Source: tabascohoy
