Make public transport pro-women…..Ashley D’Mello
MUMBAI: The World Bank is pushing for women-friendly public transport system in the Mumbai region. This includes an off-peak daily pass for women travelling in BEST buses, doors in buses meant exclusively for women as well as increasing and improving women’s toilet facilities at suburban railway stations.
The suggestions include sensitizing bus conductors towards women travellers.
WB officials, at a workshop in the city, said they have undertaken a study by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, and would take up the issue for discussion at the national level once it was over. “We want women friendly transport issues to be included in the National Urban Transport Policy,” said a bank official.
Tuesday’s workshop involved BEST officials, railway users associations, NGO’s and transport experts. The discussions pinpointed women’s need for decent and safe travel .
BEST’s spokesperson R R Deshpande said differential pricing for passes for women is a policy issue. “This will have to be discussed,” he said. On the issue of separate entry for women into the bus which is being practiced in Bangqalore, he said that bad behavior by male commuters and the conductor was not reported on a large scale in the city.
The study is being undertaken as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)2A with the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation ( MRVC).
The World Bank is involved in funding the MUTP One which has helped improve the suburban rail system and the road network in the city.
The study will help in understanding the different mobility needs and patterns of men and women in the context of their employment, family, social and community roles.
The study so far indicates that women tend to walk more than men and among them the poorer ones walk more than the non-poor. Women travel more during the off peak hours than men and used buses more and feel safe while travelling except while boarding and alighting from buses. The study found that women found bus conductors, some times rude and insensitive, and do not approach them for help.They would rather turn to women commandoes for help during a safety crisis. At suburban rail stations they feel disadvantaged due to the lack of clean and functional toilets.
The World Bank has commissioned another study of gender issues in transport in Haryana , which is being finalized.”We want a debate on these issues to take place at various cities in the country so that women’s issues are taken into consideration in the operation of transport systems,” they said.