September 27, 2024 – Greenpeace India has released its latest report “ Fare Free Future: Women’s Perspective on the Public Bus Transport in Mumbai” calling for fare-free, accessible, and efficient public bus services. The report highlights the need for improved facilities such as bus shelters, better frequency of buses, public restrooms and advocates for gender sensitive policies to ensure safer transport for women in Maharashtra.
Public buses have been essential to mobility in Mumbai, with a significant portion of the city’s population—particularly women—relying on public transportation. This highlights the urgent need to improve the overall infrastructure of the bus system. According to the report, a striking 94% respondents agree that the political parties should make fare free, reliable and safe bus transport as the key agenda item in their manifesto. 40% of the women respondents registered strong support for the political party promising free fare bus policy. The Strong support from Women highlights the significance of fare-free public buses as a crucial welfare policy.
Against the backdrop of Mumbai’s overcrowded buses with women traveling to workplaces across both formal and informal sectors, 46% of respondents use public buses daily indicating the urgent need to increase the bus fleet size. Along with being spacious the public buses should also be safe as 20% respondents reported Sexual harassment as major concern inside public buses.
The fare free bus scheme has already been successful in states like Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Yet, women in Maharashtra continue to wait for the same transformative change; fare-free and safe public bus travel.
Campaigner at Greenpeace India Aakiz Farooq said, “Fare free public bus transport policy for women can significantly enhance women’s access to employment opportunities, increase savings, help them in accessing public spaces and improve women’s right to mobility. In states where this scheme is currently implemented, it has shown promising results like increased ridership, increase in savings and income ,better employment opportunities for women etc. Political parties in Maharashtra have an opportunity to show their commitment for gender equality and sustainable transportation by introducing a fare free bus scheme for women in the state as many women indicated it could influence their voting decisions.”
Women from low income groups find public buses as the most cost effective option for daily frequent commute —- 57% of the total women respondents earn less than 10,000 rupees a month with 1 in 5 respondents finding public bus fares to be expensive. Thus the costly fares limit their mobility and reduce economic participation and access to opportunities in public spaces.
“Mumbai has a significant percentage of working women especially those belonging to the informal labour sector like domestic workers, street vendors etc and these women depend on bus transportation to commute to their workplaces daily. Introduction of the fare free public bus scheme in Maharashtra will help such women to commute longer distances for work by reducing the financial burden”. – Said Poonam Kanojiya, Maharashtra Co-ordinator NAPM
Along with dissolving the cost burden it also imperative to make these public buses safe, reliable and gender sensitive as respondents cited —-Overcrowding (92%) and safety concern(48%), Discrimination and Harassment (20%), Lack of public toilets ( 57%) were identified as the most significant problems face by women while using public buses especially during peak hours in dimly lit areas.
The report suggests several policy recommendations to make public bus transport of Maharashtra fare free, accommodative & safe for working women, students and transgender. Such as— Fare free bus service with seats reserved for women and transgender persons. Increase the number and frequency (especially during the peak hours) of women only buses in the cities and expansion of the bus fleet. It also emphasizes bus stops with depots including shelters, toilets and security systems. Lastly it also suggests exclusive bus lanes and a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority for coordinated transport management.
Annexure-I
Key Highlights-
- Public transport in Mumbai, especially buses, plays a crucial role in women’s daily lives, but safety concerns, overcrowding, and lack of affordability limit their use, particularly for low-income women.
- Implementing a fare-free bus scheme for women, as seen in Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, has significantly increased female ridership, improving access to education, employment, and essential services.
- The survey collected views from Mumbai women on a proposed fare-free bus scheme, exploring issues such as safety, overcrowding, costs, and the condition of bus shelters.
- Most women in lower-income groups rely on buses for daily commutes but face challenges such as long waiting times and overcrowding, highlighting the need for affordable, safer transportation.
- Overcrowding (92%) and safety concerns (48%) were identified as the most significant problems, making public buses less appealing for women, especially during peak hours and in poorly lit areas.
- Long waiting times (84%) and lack of clean public toilets (57%) at bus stops were identified as key barriers, disproportionately affecting women and making bus travel uncomfortable and unsafe.
- Discrimination and harassment, particularly against women, were reported by 20% of respondents, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive policies in public transport.
- While buses are a cost-effective option, 22% of women in the lowest income group still found fares expensive, pointing to the economic strain they face and the potential benefits of a fare-free scheme.
- Many women who avoided buses cited preference for taxis or auto-rickshaws due to the unreliability, overcrowding, and safety issues of bus services.
- The survey highlights the potential influence of fare-free public transport as a political issue, with many respondents indicating it could affect their voting decisions in upcoming election.
Annexure II
About Greenpeace India:
Greenpeace India is a non-profit, environmental campaign organisation dedicated to promoting climate change mitigation, adaptation, and just transition. Through non-violent creative actions and campaigns, we aim to build systems that are green, inclusive, and sustainable. We are an independent organisation, fully funded by Indian individual donors, who are dedicated to the cause of climate justice.