Greenpeace India, a non-governmental organization recently released a report titled "Riding the Justice Route" which reveals that 77 per cent of women feel unsafe commuting on Delhi buses after dark. Despite the city government's fare-free bus travel scheme, which has issued over 100 crore 'Pink Tickets' to women, safety concerns remain a significant issue. Safety concerns such as poor lighting, infrequent bus schedules, and overcrowding have led to incidents of harassment that make women feel unsafe, the report mentioned.
The Pink Ticket scheme has significantly saved women's money, with 75 per cent repurposing it for household needs, healthcare, and emergencies making them economically strong and offering social independence. However, Greenpeace India advocates for bus fleet expansion, safety improvements, and better connectivity to enhance public transport accessibility. The Pink Ticket scheme needs to work more on women's safety concerns, the report says.
The survey adds that 25 per cent of women have increased their use of public buses, with more women who avoided public transport initially becoming regular riders since the scheme's launch where no woman has to pay bus fares while traveling.
Aakiz Farooq, a Greenpeace India Campaigner mentions, "This scheme has unlocked public transit for women in Delhi. But for it to be fully transformative, we need to expand the fleet, enhance safety, and ensure well-connected services to make public transport accessible for everyone." The organization calls for nationwide fare-free public transport for women and transgender people, along with infrastructure improvements.
