2 years, 1 month ago-
How much it is safe for women to travel through public transport?
The hustle and bustle of this advancing world is increasing day by day. In such a condition, it is impossible for the man belonging to the middle class to use his or her own vehicle to reach out from one place to another during work hours. Hence, usually working men and women prefer using public transport not only to adhere to their work timings amidst traffic, but also to be able to make savings as it is affordably cheaper than travelling on their own. At the same time, what is increasingly high, is the rate of crimes against women in public transport, or rather abuse. Hence, it is unsafe to a great extent for women to travel through public transport.
It is very normal for the newspaper everyday to have news that tells us how a woman is molested in a bus by a group of men and even the driver and conductor are responsible as culprits. Even if it isn’t the matter of molestation, even the slightest of touch, groping, a look of the eye, or certain gestures are enough for a man to sexually abuse a woman and completely ruin her mentally and emotionally. At times, younger women are not even able to speak up against it if it happens with them, due to the sudden trauma they suffer. Public transport is usually crowded and there is not much space for a person to stand or sit freely. Some men use this as an advantage and make use of the situation to perform what they want to.
Public transport provides reserved seats for women and at times there are separate compartments for women as well. But, when there are common spaces for both men and women in either buses, or trains, or auto-rickshaws, it proves to be a boon for sick-minded people and a curse for women. There have been cases reported in which the same women have been sexually abused by the same people over and over constantly during their journeys in public transport, and due to lack of sources and facilities, those women cannot even change their route or transport system. Certain men also try to misbehave with women when it comes to the seats reserved for only women. Hence, we know it is not safe for women to travel through public transport at all. We require a more strict system so as to secure women’s rights.
A woman myself,
Shubhangini ShaktawatIt is not at all safe for women to travel through public transport. In india only 9% women feel public transport is safe while 3% women claims that it is completely unsafe.
A majority of women claimed that public transport is safe in day time and it’s unsafe only at nights. One of key issues raised by women was that it’s condition should be improved. In a noted report majority of the women lived within a 15-minute walking distance to the nearest public transport but only 35% of them chose to walk there while other women’s used shared transport or personal vehicles to travel. There is a lack of road lighting and it was a key factor behind feeling unsafe. Public Transport is unsafe but it is the inky option available to some women as they can’t afford private transport or cabs. About 38% women uses buses to transport while 35% women uses metro. The difference in the means of public transport preferred by women is according to their incomes and earnings. While women in lower income groups prioritized affordability over comfort, women with consequently higher income groups preferred to travel in more personalized spaces. Public Transport are completely unsafe as we had heard many cases of rape and acid victims or molestation in public transport.
Therefore, it’s not safe for women to travel in public transport but they are still travelling in public transport due to their low income. There is a need to update and make the condition better and safer for women.The topic “Is it safe for women to travel through public transports” is quiet complex, as it might be risky or unsafe for women to travel in public transports but for some it is the basic necessity or the basic need to do so.
As the past says it is not so safe for women to travel in a public transport there are some very brutal cases reported in the past such as the Nirbhaya Case which happened in Delhi as the girl was travelling by bus and sadly she got raped by some mens,this case was a nightmare for many of us. As the time passes and after repetitive cases the police and the Government of India take some serious steps towards making it safer for women to travel in public transports like the Delhi Government decided to install CCTV cameras in public transports,reserving female seats in buses ,makimg it compulsory to print down the emergency numbers inside the bus (Police,Women Helpline etc) and made the laws more strict towards harassments.
So as of now we can say it is ongoing process and after some time and with some more efforts it will be completely safer for women to travel in a public transport.
But as for now we have to take some precautionary measure like avoiding travelling in a public transport with very few of passengers in it,avoid travelling solo after dark.“Dear, please cover yourself properly and then step outside the house.”
A sentence that a girl has to hear thousands of times in her life. Why?
Are we, as a society, that unsafe and untrustworthy?
Be it any public transport, women are still mistreated. There are always a few people who stare at them and make them uncomfortable or teach them “sanskar” if not fully covered.
We all know about the famous Nirbhaya case, she too was raped in a public transport. And like her, many girls go through this but fail to talk about it. And the only reason behind their silence is us, we as humans fail to understand each other. People don’t have the sense to talk also, they scream at women and neglect them.
They sit beside them, touch them and make them uncomfortable. Why are we so ignorant of the fact that women are humans too, they have all the rights to live a safe and independent life where they are not judged on the basis of what they wear or how they walk?
There are many human rights groups and feminists, who have talked about this issue but if we won’t change the way we all think, there is no way we can find a solution.
There are laws made, there are guidelines formed but are we all following them? The answer is no, because no matter how many laws and guidelines are formed, if we won’t do anything, nothing will change.So, if we want women to be safe and secure while traveling in public transport, we will have to show some courage and speak up when we witness it, we will have to stand with women and support them when they are right. To make this world a better place to live, firstly,we will have to make it safe and secure.
In the developing countries like India, many of the people used to travel by public transport as they cannot afford for a private vehicle such as cab. Here the question comes, how much it is safe for women to travel through public transport? my answer is 50 50. Because most of the rape cases recorded in transports are happened in the night time, as women we should be aware of everything while we are travelling alone. However, covered we are, there are some eyes that are looking at us in a wrong way. We should be more aware if the travelling in in the night time.
In the day time also there, some cases recorded. As I said earlier in our country many people prefer only the public transport. thus, the transports are always crowded. Some culprits use this as an advantage. Our women are afraid raise their voice because they have to travel by the same route, same transport every day.
After the Nirbhaya case, the government insisted to insert CCTV cameras in all the public transport, set specified seats for women. Even though the culprits show their nonsense work. They sit behind the women`s seat and abuse them, or they will stand by the side of the seat and staring at women which makes them to feel uncomfortable.
However, the government introduced many laws and strict rules, nothing is changing. The change should happen in our own mind. women should raise their voice against their harassment. Until and unless it is harder for women to travel through the public transport.Public transport is for each one who for one or the other reason opt for, some travel because they don’t own their own, some travel, because the distance is long so to reach in fewer time trains, are a great option. There are buses, trains, metro trains, taxis, etc. for people as public transport. Public transports are not only used by working people but many students also.
When you take public transportation, whether metro or a bus, you may not automatically think about gender differences. But men’s and women’s experiences with transport systems differ greatly, particularly when related to their physical security and safety. Violence against women and girls in public transport and public spaces are high. Common types of abuse faced by women and girls in public transport range from leering looks and offensive gestures or unwanted touching and sexual assault.
When we talk about the safety of women, it’s a wider area to discuss, if a woman wants to travel alone for a long distance, she is told to accompany someone with her for her safety, women’s travel patterns are more complex and heterogeneous. Women are at greater risk of violence from strangers on public transportation and walking to and from transportation. The risks and safety differ from place to place and country to country, so it is really important to be sure before traveling to a place that is unknown. “High levels of harassment and other abuse in public transportation can limit women’s willingness to travel, reducing their earning options. Safety in public transportation is more a common thing, and if violence or abuse or any kind of touch happens, many women don’t report these issues because they think their report would be neglected or some are not aware of the laws and how and where to lodge.
When you look at who takes public transport, women depend more on public transport than men, so it should be ensured that their safety and security are considered and given a top priority.Well, travelling through public transport is one of the most basic thing one undergoes in day to day activities irrespective of their gender. Yet when it comes to the safety of the traveller, women’s are always more vulnerable than man. In today’s world, where it is recommended by the government and other social activist to travel in public transport for many important reasons. Such as to minimize the use of fuel, to prevent some pollution caused by private vehicles such as noise and air pollution. To avail the emergency services of open road by reducing traffic caused by multiple private vehicles. But the question remains same, is it ok to travel in public transport or is it safe to travel with strangers in a crowded transport where many things remain uncertain.
The answer of the given question, that is how much safe it is for a woman to travel through public transport can be debated on many aspects. It is not about women, instead it is about others accompanying women. There are many reliable people including men who pose no threat to women even while travelling alone or travelling in public transport. Some men are so safe to be travel with that you can entrust them with your responsibility even in the darkness of night. However, there are always two sides of coin, similarly there are men who pose a threat for women. Specially in public transport where they can lure specific women in their charm or can tease a woman in crowded transport.
Nowadays, thanks to the advanced technology reporting of such incident and asking for help has become much easier. Decreasing some issues related to women safety. There are multiple website and helpline number available for just women related issues making the public transport very much safer than what it used to be few years back.It is a sad reality but according to a recent survey done, only 9% of women in Indian cities feel public transport is completely safe, which is alarming. While 3% claim it is completely unsafe. The report was titled ‘What Do Women and Girls Want from Urban Mobility.
A majority of women claimed that public transport is somewhat safe but also found it unsafe at nights, as per the report. As many as 35% of women felt most city roads are not lit properly, and only 7% felt that their cities had seamless paths. Over 9,000 women from across 11 cities were asked about the current state of public transport. The findings revealed shocking data that 59% of women used public transport despite over 80% claiming that they felt somewhat safe using it during the day, but not at night. The key factor driving public transport use among women was affordability. Other reasons were coverage, frequency, safety, and comfort.
One of the key issues raised by women was the lack of last-mile connectivity which news to be improved. The report also noted that most of the women had to wait at least 15 minutes on average for buses, trains.
Women have a higher dependence on public transport than men. women aged between 19 and 60 years — used public transport for short and long trips. In-depth interviews with the participants revealed that they were either harassed during trips or had witnessed it or heard about it.
The question in this scenario remains to be answered is that why are their needs not prioritized during the planning of the government? Should we not contribute to a more inclusive transport system by tapping into women’s experiences of bus journeys? Also, we need to encourage gender sensitivity among men, we have to teach them that it is not ok to harass a woman or a girl while traveling on a means of local transport. They also need to be dealt with strictly. Women also must have access to police where they can freely tell their problems in order to get justice.No, It is not safe for women while travelling in public transport because facilities are not good and during travelling many things happen with women they don’t feel comfortable because men don’t treat women them with respect. Some men stare at the women’s and follow them because of which they feel scared and unsafe to step outside in evening or at night time. Women travel anywhere or travel through any public transport because of some men who misbehave with them touch anywhere due to which women feel uncomfortable and don’t feel safe to travel. Women’s are not safe mostly in Delhi because their are lost of cases of physical harassment while women are travelling at night. In public transport some of the men don’t give sit to pregnant lady from this we can see that if any women is in trouble non of them will go for her support. Day by day their is increase in women’s cases of rape, physical harassment and it mostly happen when women are alone at night or while travelling. Women’s are scared at night to travel in autos, train, buses, etc. Because their is no safety for them. In train also their are different section for men and women but then also women are suffer from physical harassment due to which they feel uncomfortable while travelling. Government need to make safety for women by providing them police in public transport so they can feel safe to travel. Women’s should be more aware about self-defense. Their should campaign and organisation for self-defense due to which women atleast protect herself. And public need to understand that if they are seeing anything wrong is happening they should take stand against it. By giving lesson for such people’s who misbehave with women will decrease the chances of physical harassment while travelling. Women has to fight back with all the situations daily and have to reach their destination.
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