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A CASE STUDY ON MOBILITY CONSTRAINTS AMONG WOMEN IN DELHI, INDIA
Neelima Chakrabarty; Kirti Bhandari; Kamini Gupta; Shalu Rani; Geetanjli Singh
Principal Scientist, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Mathura Road, e-mail
Principal Scientist, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Mathura Road, e-mail
Senior Technical Officer, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Mathura Road, e-mail
Project Assistant, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Mathura Road, e-mail
Research Intern, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, Mathura Road, e-mail
1. Introduction
The growing populations in Indian cities and the rapidly changing lifestyle and consumption
pattern of those with higher incomes, accompanied by dramatic increases in motorisation are
acknowledged worldwide to show, not only important developmental progress but also major
resource and environmental challenges.
Whether in urban, suburban or rural areas, women tend to make more complex and more trips.
However, walking remains the predominant mode of travel for many women in developing
countries as other transport modes. While greater account is increasingly being taken care in
other areas, relatively little progress has been made in this respect in the transport sector.
Personal safety and the avoidance of abuse are also major concerns for women in relation to
accessing and using transport.
1.1.Disproportionate Share of the Transport in Indian Scenario
In India there are 99.4 million women workers in a labour force of 272.84 million. Their share
in total unemployment (40%) is higher than their share in the labour force (33%).According to
the 1981 census, there are only 150,000 self employed women, a mere 5.2% of the total number
are self employed, of this a majority are concentrated in low paid, low skilled, low technology
and low productivity jobs in the rural and recognised sectors. 90% (79.4 million) women workers
are in the rural area as against only 10% (8.6 million) in urban areas. Only 2.5 million women
work in the organised sector, a mere 12.4% of the total employment.
In India women’s travel patterns vary according to the many activities they perform, including
work in the formal or informal sector, childcare, school drop-off, visits to health facilities,
shopping etc. Cultural acceptance, personal safety and the avoidance of harassment are also
major concerns for women in relation to accessing and using transport. The issue of the safety of
trips by women also arises in all countries and particularly for trips on foot or by public
transport.
1.2. Access of Safe Passenger Transport Services and Transit for Women
Women and men have different expectations of and experiences with public transport and
passenger services. Women will also not like to travel in insecure environments. They prefer
more flexible services because they are travelling with children and packages. Women more
often than men meet with discrimination in transport services. Safety concerns can be broadly
divided at two levels: first is the case of poor physical infrastructure provision (absence of
footpaths, poor location of bus shelters, absence of street lightings etc.); the second case
concerns sexual harassment on public transport services or walking down poorly lit streets,
subways, connecting path between the slums and bus stops etc. remains a common theme in
many developing countries (Anand and Tiwari, 2006, Tazarn 2008).
Studies have shown that men and women have different travel and transport needs and face
different constraints in terms of access to transport. Women tend to have access to fewer
transport choices, thereby limiting the number and purposes of trips they make. In particular,
women tend to have lesser access to private motorized modes of transport. Studies have shown
that in households where there is a private car, men usually get priority for its use (Hanson and
Hanson 1980; Anand and Tiwari 2006). Walking remains the predominant mode of travel for
many women in India as other transport modes are often not available because they are too
expensive or located too inconveniently and far away.
1.3.The Social Stigma
Safety while travelling in cities has been a major concern for women in India, as an increasing
number of them join the workforce and are out later at night. Currently, some measures
employed by public transportation systems in many Indian cities to keep women safe are good
but is still a long way to go for bring back safety and security. Today women are well-educated,
ran their own businesses or administrative works, and employed many people still they are
facing the social stigma which is making them weaker.
Although the number of working women in India roughly doubled between the mid-1990s and
2009.An opinion survey (2012) by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
(ASSOCHAM) highlighted that 92 percent of working women in India felt insecure, especially
travelling at night. In Delhi 92 percent of the women , in Bangalore 85 percent and in Kolkata
82 percent of women responded feeling unsafe. Women require safe, reliable, and consumer-
friendly, flexible, accessible transport services with many route options to meet their needs
(Hanson and Hanson 1981, Lu and Pas 1998, Pas 1984).
1.4.Loopholes in Present Transport Planning
Travel patterns of women in India can be divided into three broad categories: i) domestic travel,
(water and firewood collection as well as food processing trips ), ii) agricultural travel( trips to
and from the fields, as well as supply and marketing trips) and iii) travel for access to services
and social purposes( health facilities, shops, public markets, church/temple) etc.
So the women are more likely to make trip chain, meaning that when they travel, make more
frequent multipurpose short trips. For that reason, women tend to value flexibility over time
savings in their travel choices. This type of combined trip making is not considered in most
urban transport system designs. Research conducted in the United Kingdom (Hamilton, Hoyle
and Jenkins 1999) highlights some primary flaws plaguing the transport system. Which are also
applicable in India, are as following:
a) The scarcity of women in higher positions in policy making and the planning of transport
in cities
b) The systematic failure to incorporate the voices of women users in the consultation and
planning of transport systems
c) Further, the growth of automobile-dependent societies points to a deliberate growth of
vehicles without safety policies concerning the mobility of women.
1.5.Vulnerability and perception of fear on Indian Dark Roads
Vulnerability and the perception of fear continue among the Indian women commuters especially
during the dark hours which hinder them to use public transport according to their choice. Lack
of proper lighting on the roads, bus stops and lots of blind spots make the city road more unsafe
for everyone especially women, elderly and children including persons with diverse disabilities.
Pic 1&2: Dark Hours on Delhi Roads (Courtesy Hindustan Times)
Assessing the mobility needs of women should be made an integral aspect of
social/urban/transport framework. A public-transportation system which would satisfy women’s
mobility needs and deliver social justice in terms of eradicating or modifying the barriers
concerning will be considered as sustainable which will also include following features:
Affordability (the extent to which an individual or household has to make financial sacrifices in
other areas to cover the expense of travel);
Accessibility /Availability (route options, timing and frequency of services; location and design
of stopping points); and
Safety and Acceptability (other factors that determine the quality of services, e.g. design of bus-
shelters, safety around bus shelters through designing active spaces).
2. A Pilot Study of Women Commuters On Delhi Roads
A pilot survey was conducted for women pedestrian and motorist in Connaught Place, National
Highway 2 near Sukhdev Vihar, and Nehru Place in Delhi. Survey was conducted among various
groups of women for 4 days. The sample was consisting of 74 women commuters of different
age group (fig 1), marital status (fig 2), income (fig3), profession (fig4) and qualification (fig5).
Women motorist of 30 to 50 years age group were driving regularly for work purpose (fig 6).
20-30,
19%,
30-40,
30%,
40-50,
44%,
ab. 50,
7%,
Fig 1:Age Chart
20-30
30-40
40-50
above 50
20%
80%
Fig 2: Marital Status
SINGLE
MARRIED
23%
12%
18%
47%
Fig 3: Income
< 10,000
10,000 TO 25,000
25,000 TO 50,000
20%
74%
3%
3%
Fig 4. Profession
STUDENT
SCIENTIST
WORKERS
OTHERS
3%
65%
32%
0%
Fig 5: Qualification
UG
PG
PhD
OTHERS
2.1.Mode of Commuting
When asked about the main mode of commuting 65% of the sample population opted for bus
as main commuting mode while 19% of them opted for walking followed by 12% of them
were commuting by car and 4% of them by bicycles.
2.2.Frequency of Road Crossing
Women were asked as to how many times a day they have to cross the road. Around 59% of
the surveyed stated that they have to cross the road more than thrice daily, around 10%
expressed that they have to cross daily three times a day while 21% stated that they generally
cross the road only twice a day and rest of the sample population expressed that they had to
cross the road only once in a day (Fig 3). So it shows that more than 50% of them thrice or
more times had to cross the road daily.
2.3.Difficulty in Crossing the Road
Pic 3&4: Inaccessible footpaths and Unauthorised Parked Cars on Road
Around 22% women stated that they have to face “Always” difficulties due to unauthorised
parking on road sides, unapproachable footpaths (Fig 7,pic 3&4).
0 10 20 30 40
Always
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
22
29
34
12
3
Percent
Options
Fig 7 Percent Difficulties Observed While Road Crossing
2.4.Type of Difficulty Faced While Crossing the Road
50% of women commuters stated that traffic in front of them don’t allow to cross the road
even when traffic light is red while 33% said that red signal timings are inappropriate
because it turns green while they were in middle of the road i.e. the allotted time is not
sufficient and because of free left turns allowed they hardly find any safe time to cross.
Rest of them felt both kinds of above mentioned problems (Fig 8) while 14% of them did
not feel any problem in crossing the road.
2.5.Anxiety and Physical Pain While Crossing the Road
21% of the sample population expressed “Always they felt anxiety & physical pain
while crossing the road pain in crossing the road. So it shows that more than half of the
pedestrians felt road crossing as creating anxiety and painful.
2.6.Reason for Requiring More Crossing Time
52% of the women respondents replied that more time is required while they are under
physical or mental stress because under stress condition perception and reaction time
increases which in turn increases road crossing manoeuvres, while 26% of them expressed
that they had facing some type of physical impairment or physical pain and 35% of them
33
52
1
14
15
Fig 8 Types of Conflicts Pedestrains Faced while Road Crossing
Signal turns green while you are in middle of the road
Traffic don’t allow you to cross even when it is red light
both
None
21
16
31
21
11
Fig 9 Feeling of Anxiety & Physical Pain while Road Crossing
Always
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
replied that they were loaded with luggage or children’s etc hence they needed more time
to cross the road,17% of them were under some mental stress and 17% had other problems
only 5% of the total sample replied that they faced no problems while crossing the road(Fig
8).
(i). Allotted Crossing Time Insufficient To Cross the Road
58% of the respondents felts that the allotted time is not sufficient and they wanted more
time for crossing the road.
(ii). Reasons for Finding Insufficient Pedestrian Crossing Time
As reported earlier around 58% of the pedestrians felt that the allotted time is not sufficient.
To this 11.0% pedestrians replied that road is too wide due to which they were not able to
cross the road in the allotted time while 46.0 % stated that motorist’s don’t stop even after
red-light & allotted time is wasted due to violations while 43% pedestrians were uncertain
i.e. could not provide reasons for the insufficient pedestrian crossing time.
2.7. Pedestrian Waiting Time to cross the Road
Pedestrians were asked as on average how long they had to wait while crossing the road
then 29% of the respondents stated that they had to wait less than 30 sec while 34% of
them replied that they had to wait 30-60 sec and around 25% of the respondents replied that
they generally had to wait 60 to 90 sec, rest of the 12% of them expressed that they had to
wait more than 90 sec (Fig 11).So pedestrians had to wit quite long to cross the road.
35
26
17
17
5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
They are often Loaded with Luggage or …
They have recently facing some physical …
They are under stress
Any other problem
No Problem
Percentage
Fig 10Types of Problems Faced while crossing
2.8.Crossing the Road is Unsafe
90% women felt quite unsafe and they gave various reasons for that e.g. the allotted traffic
signal time is less (15%), the speed of vehicle is too high (24%) and 50% of them stated that
other motorists don’t stop and do not give way .
2.9. Abused by other Road Users
7.14% women commuters of 20-30 years,86.36% women commuters of 30-40 years, 69.70%
women commuters of 20-30 years and 100% women commuters of ab. 50 years expressed that
they were abused “Sometimes” by the other road users(fig 12).
3. Mitigation Measures
Under some mitigation measure regarding inaccessibility issues and making road infrastructure
more safe a 2009 pilot program for female-only commuter trains has been introduced in four of
India’s largest cities i.e. New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The Bangalore Metropolitan
Transport Corporation has also introduced female-only buses. Some special buses has been
labelled as “Women’s Special,” and are meant to cater to women during peak hours in the
29
34
25
12
Fig 11 : Preferred Time for Road Crossing
Less than 30 secs
30 to 60 secs
60 to 90 secs
Above 90 secs
7.14
86.36
69.70
100.00
13
2
10
0
92.86
9.09
30.30
0
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
20-30 years
30-40 years
40-50 years
ab 50 years
percentage
Age Group
Fig 12: Percent Women being Abused by other Road Users
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
morning and evening. However, the frequency of these buses is insufficient in view of rising
numbers of working women commuters in India. Some companies have made provisions to
provide their own private shuttles for both men and women of that employ female workers for
night shifts at call centers.
In Bangalore, the new safety measures included ensuring that a female employee would not be
dropped off last and implementing an ID card system to keep track of drivers. One of
ASSOCHAM’s recent safety recommendations was to equip public vehicles with GPS systems
that women could use to call for help when in trouble. The others measures include night
patrols, checks on public and private bus operators, and a ban on vehicles with tinted windows or
curtains. Even if the segregation is meant to benefit women, keeping them separate remains
fundamentally unequal.
However, still the Women in metropolitan cities need to feel valued and welcome in public transport. For
this some major corrections are needed to be implemented which are as following:
• Safe guards to be visible on-board and on road including more PCR vans
• Better lighting system at road side and at bus stops
• The avoidance of blind areas
• Visually accessible traffic signals at night
• Clearly identified safe zones providing customer information, timetables and maps as customer
confidence is seriously eroded by a lack of information or communication
• Safe and accessible public amenities e.g. baby change facilities, parent rooms and toilet
facilities
• More installations of closed circuit television (CCTV)
• Route maps, driver announcements, and passenger access to mobile telephones on-board
vehicles and on road sides
• Enhanced linkages with complementary services such as taxis and community buses to enable a
door-to-door service provision.