Fare-Free Future: Women’s Perspectives on Public Bus Transport in Mumbai

Almost all (96 per cent) of survey respondents said that if bus services were made fare-free for women, they would use public buses more for daily and inter-city travel. Lower income groups (earning less than Rs. 10,000 per month) were most likely to support this policy, with 61 per cent definitely in favour and 27 per cent very likely to support. Likewise, 62 per cent of people earning between Rs. 10-20,000 were definitely in support of the policy.

Factors limiting women from using public buses included long waiting times (reported by 84 per cent of respondents), and the lack of clean public toilets (reported by 57 per cent of respondents). Long waiting times at dark or isolated bus stops along with a lack of security personnel increased women’s exposure to potential risks in public spaces, dissuading use of buses.

A 2024 paper on women’s use of public transportation found that women were more likely to ‘trip chain’, that is, “make frequent shorter trips with more stops along the way to combine multiple tasks”. This requires purchase of multiple tickets and makes travel more expensive for women.

As many as 94 per cent of surveyed women stated they would like political parties to make fare-free, safe, and reliable public bus transport an essential agenda item for the Maharashtra state assembly elections. Moreover, 95 per cent of  respondents endorsed the Greenpeace campaign for introducing fare-free public transport for women and transgender persons in election manifestos.

Public transportation falls under the state’s purview meaning that the state government in Maharashtra has the authority to introduce such a scheme in addition to other gender affirmative policies such as the 50 per cent concession for women under the Mahila Samman Yojana scheme by MSRTC, the report adds.

Around 46 per cent of respondents reported using public buses daily and 19 per cent reported using buses a few days a week, indicating a strong dependence on public transport. Over half of women earning less than Rs. 40,000 a month and students reported using public buses daily. Highest daily usage (57 per cent) was recorded among women earning less than Rs. 10,000 per month.

More than half of the respondents (52 per cent) spent 10-30 minutes on their bus commute, with 30 per cent traveling for 30 minutes to 1 hour and nine per cent for 1-2 hours. Around three per cent commuted by bus for over two hours daily.

One in five bus users found fares expensive. While public buses are the most cost-effective option for many low-income women, unaffordable fares can discourage their mobility and economic participation. This highlights the importance of public transport in ensuring equitable access to opportunities.

When asked about bus shelter conditions, 39 per cent of women rated them as ‘very bad’, 43 per cent rated them as ‘satisfactory’, 16 per cent as ‘good’ and only one per cent rated them ‘very good’.

The majority of respondents (92 per cent) identified overcrowding as a major issue with Mumbai's public buses. Almost half (48 per cent) mentioned safety concerns, as overcrowding reduces comfort, safety, and increases the risk of harassment.

The report recommends implementing fare-free bus services for women and transgender individuals across Maharashtra, as well as having reserved seats on buses. It also calls for an expansion in the fleet of buses running, the frequency of services, addition of small buses for underserved areas and the introduction of women-only buses.

More suggestions include upgrading facilities like shelters, toilets and safety systems for commuters and staff at bus stops and depots. The report also advocated for the implementation of bus priority lanes on all major roads in cities with populations over a million.

Focus and Factoids by Punya Sethi.