IS PUBLIC TRANSPORT SAFE?

With a lot of emphasis on using public transport as the mode of transport if one asks IS PUBLIC TRANSPORT SAFE? Following the news related to Indian public transport I would not even think twice before saying ‘NO’. Even after the Odd-Even rule applied in Delhi to encourage people to use public transport, it was expected that the connectivity and frequency of buses and metro would increase. But it was not up to the mark. Safety in public transport in India is a very important missing element.

Despite of authorities taking various measures to ensure transport safe and comfortable for women such as CCTV and GPS tracking service, not much has changed as they don’t function properly. It is important to understand the travel needs of men and women are very different. According to study conducted by Thomas Reuters Foundation in 2014, it has ranked Delhi 4^th position for most dangerous transport system for women. After the unfortunate rape incident in December 2011, Government of India setup Nirbhaya fund to make public transport safe, however, the fund is still being unutilised.

Some giant steps have to be taken to bring confidence in women so they could fearlessly travel in public transport. A robust framework that could not only provide technical solutions but also paves the way for systematic changes in future.