Life Choices Dictated by Transit Women and Mobility in India

Life Choices Dictated by Transit: Women andMobility in IndiaJune 22, 2015

Alka Devi is a construction worker in Ranchi, India. Every day, she travels 30 km, hoping to be hired by local contractors.Such a long commute is in itself a burden, but if she takes transit, it would cost her Rs 1500 ($23) a month, when hermonthly income is usually just Rs 2000 ($31). Instead, Alka walks 10-15 kms daily with her fellow workers, sometimesstarting out as early as 4am after completing household chores. In Ranchi, across India, and all over the world, there arethousands of women like Alka Devi whose life choices and trips are dictated by the transit options available to them.Overcharging by drivers, harassment on the streets, and the danger of trafficking are all common problems faced by millionsof women every day.

With slightly over one third of its total population living in urban areas, Indian cities are still grappling to find permanentsolutions for quicker, cheaper and more effective forms of transit. One of the most natural resource rich areas of India,Jharkhand, was declared a state in 2000 and is one of ITDPs operational offices towards the east of India. Jharkhands capitalcity of Ranchi has seen an explosion in terms of population and infrastructure.

Historically the people of Ranchi depended on walking,

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Vegetable vendors walking along the road

A lack of public spaces where women can actively participate incity life is the root of the problem.

Historically the people of Ranchi depended on walking,cycling, and cycle rickshaws for their mobility needs.Today, 80% trips in the city are still made by thesemodes. But without basic facilities for walking, cycling,and public transport, an increasing number of peopleare switching to the use of personal motor vehicles,leading to high levels of congestion and pollution. Sincebecoming the capital, Ranchi has experienced a lot ofinward migration from the surrounding areas, primarilybecause of the lack of job opportunities and access tobasic services in the rest of the state. These largenumbers of residents and migrants in the city can notafford safe and good quality transit, but must rely on asemi-formal IPT (intermediate public transportation)system for their needs.

While this is a problem for all low income people,women in Ranchi are particularly underserved by Ranchis current transit. Their concerns regarding safety and accessibility arerarely addressed. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data show high levels of violence against women in Jharkhand.Actual experiences of violence, along with the threat and fear of such, lead to womens exclusion from public spaces. Thisthreat of sexual harassment and assault prevents free movement, impinges upon their autonomy, and compromises theiraccess to services and opportunities. Increasing womens active participation in public transit or spaces are concerns that ITDPis working to deal with in partnership with various local organizations for women.

Surveys conducted by ITDP in Ranchi are showing aclearer picture of womens transit needs, and theproblems they face. The surveys reveal manydiscrepancies between how men and women use transitin the city. For example, 83% women compared to only45% men in Ranchi rely on walking and shared autorickshaws or cars for their transit needs. The current IPTsystem is viewed as unsafe by over 90% of womensurveyed, with many listing persistent staring, sexualharassment or lewd language as main, daily problems.

These issues affect women across income and societalgroups. Nidhi Sharma is a twenty year old collegestudent in Ranchi. Her freedom is limited by the factthat she has to be home before 7:30pm, when the citytransport services shut down. Though owning amotorbike could give her more mobility, she avoids therisk involved in driving at night and would prefer therun-down semi formal auto service.

ITDP has worked in Ranchi with MHST (Mahila SEWA Housing Trust), a womens rights based organization that works on lowcost housing, sanitation and skill building, to identify daily wage women workers in the city. We integrated their numbers withexisting semi-formal routes and have proposed a 24 hour formal public bus system that covers the main areas from whereinward migration occurs. This system is also cheaper than existing autorickshaws and has established bus stops along withsafer bus shelter designs. We are also working with an organization called Jagori to conduct safety audits in public spaces, todetermine where women feel most insecure and at risk. These audits will be done manually or through an app which alsogives us a chance to engage in a participatory process. These would help us to identify pockets in the city which are regardedas dangerous and help with interventions through city planning policies in the Master plan. ITDP also conducts communityevents in Ranchi to encourage cycling, walking and the participation of women in the public sphere. These steps will helpwomen reclaim spaces in the city and assert their rights to the city.



Filed Under: Blog, Content Type, English, Featured News #1, India, Language, Location, Public Transport

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Life Choices Dictated by Transit Women and Mobility in India