Halt for women bus users in Delhi

FOCUS

The Delhi government launched a free bus ride scheme for women in 2019 to improve their access to public transportation and increase their ridership. Since the scheme's introduction, the proportion of women bus riders has risen from 25 per cent in 2020-21 to nearly 33 per cent in 2022-23, states an article from the Indian Express dated March 26, 2023.

This survey report, released by Greenpeace India on October 3, 2023, aims to identify and analyse the challenges faced by women bus users in Delhi since the introduction of the scheme. It focuses on issues like buses not halting at bus stops for women as well as women facing discrimination and harassment in response to the scheme. The report also seeks to recommend measures to improve the inclusivity, efficiency and safety of buses for women.

The survey covered 500 women from various age groups, occupations and classes. Surveys were conducted at multiple bus stops and neighbourhoods in Delhi in June and July 2023, with 410 responses collected offline and 90 online. Data was gathered from limited locations including Kashmere Gate, Saket, GTB Nagar, AIIMS, INA, Connaught Place, and Seemapuri bus stops. The survey does not include information on the respondents' occupations, income levels, and bus routes used.

This 20-page study comprises eight sections: Introduction (Section 1); About the Survey (Section 2); Methodology, Scope and Limitation (Section 3); Findings (Section 4); Insights (Section 5); Recommendations (Section 6); References (Section 7); and Annexure: Survey Form (Section 8).

    FACTOIDS

  1. More than half (52.2 per cent) of the respondents reported using buses daily. Around 29.2 per cent travelled by bus few days a week, 10 per cent used bus transportation occasionally, and 8.2 per cent used it at least once a week. Only 0.4 per cent of the women surveyed has never used the bus before.

  2. As many as 80.2 per cent respondents reported instances when buses had not halted for them at bus stops and 29 per cent faced this issue frequently. Half (50.2 per cent) of the women surveyed had experienced this ‘sometimes’ whereas 20.8 per cent had never witnessed this before.

  3. About 54.2 per cent women stated they had faced comments or discrimination related to the free bus scheme from bus drivers, conductors and men bus users.

  4. A significant majority (84.8 per cent) supported hiring women bus drivers and conductors and believed that this would solve the problem of the buses not halting while also making bus travel safer for women commuters. Around 11.4 per cent of respondents thought such measures would not benefit women. However, 91.6 per cent of respondents supported the introduction of women-only buses in Delhi.

  5. The report recommends setting up monitoring systems to ensure buses halt at every stop. It also calls for the setting up of an efficient redressal system and helpline numbers to be put up at all bus stops. To improve women’s safety, it also suggests that bus stops be well lit and located close to residential areas and other key destinations.

  6. The report advocated for gender sensitisation training for bus staff. It also calls for the launch of women-only mini-buses and night services. Administrators should also incorporate women’s perspectives into transportation planning and utilise digital tools like panic buttons and real-time tracking for safety.

  7. A World Bank report titled ‘Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces’ notes that women in India heavily rely on public transport, with 84 per cent of their trips depending on it. Efficient and safe public transport is therefore vital for women, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, to access public spaces and economic opportunities.


    Focus and Factoids by Arunima Mandwariya.

AUTHOR

Aakiz Farooq and Avni Goyal

COPYRIGHT

Greenpeace India

PUBLICATION DATE

03 Oct, 2023

TAGS

#women #buses #public-transport

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