identifying and addressing the issue of women’s fear of

Identifying and Addressing the Issue of Women’s Fear of Victimization in

Public Transport: A Case of Delhi

Dr Jogendra Kumar Nayaka Danish Benazeerb

a,bIndian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India [email protected] [email protected]

Abstract

This study makes an effort to analyze the issues that affect the safety of women in public

transports and to propose an effective solution for this. The study has been carried out on the

Indian context, with special reference to the state of Delhi. For this study the methodology

used is primary in nature and the data collection is done mainly through a questionnaire, street

survey and rapid assessment. The results from the study show that there are numerous issues

that affect the safety of women in Public transport which may be grouped as sociological,

socio-demographic and environmental factors. The women travellers are also categorised

according to their interest of travel. This study can be useful for the authorities to spot the risk

zones and to improve or implement safety measures in the transportation systems by

developing a better understanding of the safety issues.

Key words:, Victimization, Women, Fear, Public Transport, Design

1. INTRODUCTION

Fear of victimization is a major concern for women around the world, which stops themfrom

free mobility specially while using the public transport, particularly at night.For this reason

they avoid specific routes or bus stop or use them during day time if felt safe. Many times

they do not use public transport because of their belief that they could be victimized while

travelling inside the vehicle or at the stop. Past researches show that there is a direct link

between the fear of victimization and the travel decisions of the passengers, which directly

affects the ridership. In 2002 a survey conducted by the U.K. Department of Transport,

showed that “an extra 10.5% of journeys would be generated if the public felt more secure

when travelling, particularly when waiting at the stations” (Carter 2005, 100).

A lot of research work has been done on the relation between women’s fear of

victimization and public spaces. Although transit system which are the most important for the

daily life and the most feared for the women passengers, very little attention has been given to

this. The studies and survey done in this field reveal that there are a number of issues that

affect the security of passengers. The most significant factor which came forward related to

fear of victimization in public transport is gender (Department of Transport 2002). It is very

clear through the studies and survey reports of women’s fear that the fear of victimization is

more in women than men (Gordon and Riger, 1989). Different levels of fear has been

recognized by the researches which are based on their age, young or elderly, belong to some

group of community, the economic condition or the ability to afford.A lot of variation has

been noticed in respect to age, class, culture, educational, previous incidents of victimization

experiences which exist in social groups, which effects the perception of fear of victimization

in public transport environments (Loukaitou-Sideris, 2006). Researchers have found out many

other causes for the fear of victimization.

Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol.12, 2017

2392

The objective of this study is to identify the different needs and issues of women’s

safety in public transport and to propose a suitable design solution. This has been particularly

done in Indian context with special reference to New Delhi the capital.

1.1 Delhi

The foundation stone of the city was laid by George V, Emperor of India during the Delhi

Durbar of 1911(Tripti, 2012). During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British

administration to shift the capital of the British Indian Empire, from Calcutta on the east coast,

to Delhi (Wright, 2011). With a total area of 42.7 km2 (16.5 sq mi), New Delhi forms a small

part of the Delhi metropolitan area (NDMC Act, 2008).It is the largest commercial city of

India (Gov. of NCT Delhi, 2012).It is a land of many historic sites and museums (History of

national museum, 2011). Being commercially active it has immense job opportunities and the

historical monuments attract people from all over India and the world.

Delhi has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a

highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of the Delhi Metro. Since Delhi

is a metropolitan city it has a high population and thus needs a good transport infrastructure.

Serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to

encourage usage of public transport in the city. Public transport in the capital incorporates

the Delhi Metro, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus system, auto-rickshaws, Gramin

Seva, e-rikshaws and taxis. However, buses continue to be the most popular means of

transportation for intra-city travel, catering to about 60% of the total commuting requirements

(Delhi Transport, 2006).

For this study the Public bus transport has been focused. Delhi Transport

Corporation (DTC) has the world's largest task force of CNG-powered buses.Women’s fear of

being victimized is the highest in this city (Crime in India, 2014).A 2011 survey done by the

Jagori and UN Women in Delhi highlights that althoughit has become a world class city, it is

still an intimidating city which is shared by women’s of all sections of the society, and has

become more insecure for women. It was observed that women reported highest number of

incidents within buses and other public transportation and on the streets. The study reported

that 74% of the violence took place in broad daylight. Roads were the most feared public

setting for 50% while 39% felt that public transport were most unsafe (Jagori and UN Women,

2011).

The paper has been divided into five major sections as followed by Nayak and Bhalla

(2016). Introduction being the first is where the topic of research, its importance and the

connection with the safety of women has been explained. Here a brief description about the

Delhi city has been done which is the place of research. The next section is a review of

literature in which the various studies, researches and survey in this field of safety for women

in transportation systems has been explained. In the third section the research methodology is

explained, which has been followed for this study. In this section the research design, survey

method, sample selection and the number of samples used for this study has been explained.

In the fourth section the analysis and interpretation of the data is done. The final, fifth section

the findings of the study, its implications to the transport system, design solutions, and scope

of further research has been explained.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Women’s safety and fear of public transportation systems


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Sustainable and inclusive transportation systems have very powerful gender extent. Despite

the acknowledgement of the fact that “women and men experience cities in different ways”

while planning for the transport systems gender is ignored (Beall, J. 1995).Studies have

shown that women’s travel needs and patterns are different than men’s in the transport system

(Guiliano G., 1979).It has been revealed that convenience to work place is supported by the

accessibility to transportation (Wolch, 1989). It is also acknowledged through research that

compared to men, women are a large user of public transport due to non-availability of other

choices of transport. They use the public transport for all their activities of employment,

education, leisure etc. Thus the improvement of these women is significantly dependent on

the public transport (Smith et al. 2008). Public transport is important for the girl’s access to

education without which they won’t be able to go to schools [Fernando, 2002; Latif, Z., 1999;

Harrison, 2012). The social and economical development of women is highly affected by their

free access and usability of public spaces (Fileborn, Bianca, 2013).

Crime on public transport has led to the need of looking at various stages of the trip.

This has often been discussed by the researchers in terms of particular types of places. The

level of victimization of the passengers at different points of the transport journey was

highlighted by the qualitative study done in Los Angeles of Levine and Wachs (1986). They

reported respondents had different concern while on the bus, at the stop and walking to and

from the bus stop (Levine et al.1986).

The whole journey approach was developed in U.K, by the department of Crime to not

only focus at the different stages of the trip but to consider the trip as a whole. Theynoted that

the decision by the travellers to take the journey depended on the level of victimization on

that route as perceived by the traveller (Crime Concern and Transport and Travel Research,

1997).

The whole journey includes all the stages of the trip form origin to destination and

back again.

Figure1. Public Transport Journey

Figure1 here presents a simple journey on public transport. Women’s trip often includes trip

chains this is termed as ‘trip chaining’ or ‘trip linking’. The trips made by women often

includes shopping or picking up children after returning from work journey (McGuckin and

Nakamoto, 2005). Although trip chains are very encouraging for the use for public transport,

but the use of this also increases the chances of exposure to the victimization. This makes

them the victim of bag snatching and it becomes impossible to deal with the high crowded

vehicle without being harassed. In these two crimes women were reported more prone to

victimization than men.

Researchers have also acknowledged that the areas around the stations or stops have a

higher number of crime events than other areas(Block and Davis, 1996). In their study they

found that the train stop and the surrounding areas were the hotspot for robbery. In another

study (Robinson, 1998) stated that the crime of burglary and street were comparatively higher

around the sky train stations in Vancouver, where as the areas further from the station had a

lesser rate of crime. It is very clear from these findings that the passenger journey needs to be

stretched out to include all the stages for a better understanding and analysis of the issues.

Origin

Journey to Departure station

At the Departure station

Boarding the vehicle

Alighting the vehicle

At the destination station

From the destination station

Destination


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Loukaitou-Sideris (2005) in a study done on male and female victimization on buses

and at bus stops found that women were more often victimized than men. Lynch and

Atkins,(1988) found that a street in U.K. was found the most common place for attacks and

threat harassment for women, although there the victimization on public transport stops and

vehicles were also high.The crimes at different cities had different patterns as observed by the

researchers. It points to the need of focusing on the place-specific requirements of crime

prevention.

Boggs (1965) stated through his study that the study done for the purpose of safety in

public transport firstly should be crime specific and secondly the respondent should be closely

associated to the crime. Smith and Clarke (2000)in a discussion said that the features of the

micro-environments of the route of passengers journey through which he travels also affect

the crime rate. The crowding of the transit vehicle or lack of supervision by the police also

facilitates the crimes. LaVigne (1996); Loukaitou-Sideris et al. (2002) found that some of the

design and environmental features emerge as crime reducing factors in some settings.

A lot of work has been done for the calculation of the risks present in micro

environments on public transport. Safety and security audits and the answers from the

respondents about their perceived level of safety in the particular transit areas and their

incident of victimization were most conventional ways for estimating the risk (TTC et al.,

1989). Safety audits turned out to be important because the traditional risk calculations were

done on the basis of reported crime, which did not count the unreported minor victimization

and crimes or anti-social behaviour.

In India also a lot of work has been initiated for safety of women in public transport.

Many NGO and transport authorities have started to focus on this issue. Jagori in

(2010)carried out a survey to study the rate of harassment faced by women in public transport

in Delhi. Sampling method was used to collect information. Interviews of around 5010 men

and women across Delhi were taken. For the survey respondent were selected randomly from

the public spaces. Sexual harassment came out to be the biggest perceived fear of

victimization for women’s safety in Delhi. Through their survey they found that women felt

unsafe mostly in crowded public transport. In another study done by Mitra-Sarkar and

Pratheeban (2009) in Chennai for the victimization of women in public transport, they found

that 66% of the women reported being victimized while commuting. The respondents were

women commuters of age 18yrs and above who were mostly college students.

From these literature studies it is very clear that the public transport is a vital mode of

mobility, especially for women. The risk of victimization and fear of harassment in public

transport affects and also restricts their mobility to the educational, employment, recreational

and social activities. This directly affects of their overall growth.

Countries have come up with many solutionsfor safety of women in public transport.

Tokyo was the first capital to introduce women-only trains. Many other cities like Jakarta,

Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Manila have also introduced women friendly transport for safety of

women (Boros, 2014).

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Delhi is the 4th most dangerous city for women around the world and Malviya Nagar is the

most unsafe place in Delhi (Delhi human development report, 2013;Safe cities for women and

girls recent developments, 2016)

The objective of this study is to observe the victimization of women commuters in public

transport in Malviya Nagar New Delhi, India.Various actions to prevent and address sexual


2395

harassment in public transport are also recommended. The study was carried out in three

stages. In the first survey instruments development is done, second the data collection and

finally the third data handling.

3.1 Stage 1: Development of survey instrument

A lot of previous research work was revisited for the better understanding of the best

methodological approach for this study. The questionnaire was developed by using the

existing literature on gender and crime.Through a primary survey quantitative and qualitative

data has been collected. The respondents selected for the survey were the female above 15

years of age who travel in public buses regularly or used it now and then. They were further

stratified in the three categories of 1) students, 2) working, 3) home makers. The respondents

were selected randomly from various bus stops and women passengers inside the busses on

that route. Stratified sampling was used in order to maintain the diversity of the respondents

in the socio-economic attribute.

These queries were enlisted in the self-designed questionnaire. The designed

questionnaire was in three sections. In the first the section the demographic profile of the

respondents wasenquired which included their age, gender, education, occupation and

monthly income. The second section enquired about their cause of use ofpublic transport. The

third and the final section included question based on their fear of public transport. These

questions were measured using the five point Likert Scale of 1(strongly disagree) to 5

(strongly agree). The questionnaire also had some questions which asked the respondents to

freely answer for the type of issues they faced andgive their suggestions.

The survey was done in the month of October 2016. The respondents were assured of

their voluntary participation just for the purpose of study and their privacy of identity. They

were also advised that if felt uncomfortable with any question they could leave it.

3.2 Stage 2: Data collection

In the first stage an online survey was conducted as a part of the pilot test to ensure that the

survey instrument was clear and comprehensive in nature. Next a survey of the area which

was aimed to investigate women’s experiences in public transit were done. It was a successful

survey with a good number of responses, as people are concerned about their safety and it has

become a major issue.A total of 200 responses were received. The data was collected from

visitors/ respondents from different bus stops at the Press Enclave Road, New Delhi. It was

also made sure that the respondent chosen was of age above 15yrs. Although there were girl

commuters of age less than 15, but they were not interviewed, in order to get accurate answers

for the questions. The questionnaire was distributed at the bus stops and to the women’s in the

bus.

The second stage involved interviews with the stakeholders (Traffic Police, Staff on

the buses-drivers and conductors). This gave a better understanding of the situation of the

public transport running at that route particularly and the frequency of these types of crimes in

that area. The third stage was the Rapid assessment to assess the present condition of

infrastructure, condition of public transport vehicles, footpath details along the route,

condition of bus shelters route details. The fourth was the safety audit of the selected pilot

corridors and bus stop along these routes. This audit was based on the nine parameters based

on the Safetipin app by the Jagori in India. The nine parameters included - lighting, openness,

visibility, crowd, security, walk path, public transport, gender diversity and feeling of safety.

3.3 Stage 3: Data handling


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The data collected was finally arranged in an MS Excel sheet. Proper coding and the

subsequent editing of the data as per requirement were done. The data was corrected and any

distortion was removed.

4. DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

4.1 Demographic profile

The demographic analysis reveals the transport choices of the diverse segments of the

community. The respondents were classified into five different age groups. These groups

were 15-25 years, 26-35 years, 36-45 years, 46-45 years and 56+ (those above 56 years of

age).The public transport system is not so friendly with the needs of elderly. This stops them

to make frequent use of the public bus or they are accompanied by someone. It was observed

that most of the respondents were young, with almost 91% in the age group 15 - 45 years. 26

– 35 years was the second large group with 40% respondents in it.

Table1. Demographic profile

Category Frequency Percentage

Age

( years )

15 – 25

26 – 35

36 – 45

46 – 55

56+

30

80

72

12

6

15

40

36

6

3

Education Graduation

Secondary school

Primary school

Not attended/ completed primary school

76

90

20

14

38

45

10

7

Purpose of

journey

Work

Education

Shopping/ Hospital

Leisure/ Recreation

90

80

20

10

45

40

10

5

Monthly

household

income

Below 10,000

10,000 – 25,000

Above 25,000

Didn’t specify

18

146

20

16

9

73

10

8

It was also observed that out the 200 respondents surveyed 186 (93% of the total)were

educated with 76(38% of total)were graduate, 90 (45% of the total) were secondary school, 20

(10% of the total) primary school passed while 14 (7% of the total were not educated but

could read and write. As most of the respondents were educated it was very helpful for the

better analysis of the situation because they understood the questions well and answered

accordingly.

Another observation which was made was that the women commuters were mostly

(45% of total) workers or were students (40% of total). The others commuting were 10% for

shopping or hospital and rest 5% were commuting for leisure. 18 out of 200 respondents (9%

of the total) had the monthly income below INR 10,000, 146 respondents (73% of the total)


2397

had the income in the range of INR 10,000 to 25,000 and 20 (10% of total) had it above

25,000 and the rest 16 (8% of the total) didn’t specify.

4.2 Features of public transport usage

This section illustrates the features of public transport usage by female commuters in this area.

It was observed that the public transport was mainly used by the working women and then the

students. 95% of the working women and 80% of the students used the public transport on

daily basis. The other public transport women commuters used it for at least 2-4 times 57% a

week. This variation was due to the different categories of respondents.

Table2. Frequency of using public transport by females

Students Working Others

frequency percentage frequency percentage frequency percentage

Daily (5-7 days

in a week) 160 80 190 95 4 2

Often (1-4 times

in a week) 32 16 8 4 82 41

Sometimes (2-4

times in a

month)

8 4 2 1 104 57

Total 200 100 200 100 200 100

4.3 Frequency of modes of public transport used and safety

This survey also gives the extent of usage of the public transport by the categories of

women.Respondents stated that they used the buses the most on a regular basis almost for

75% (of all the trips they made) trip they made by bus, while 25% by mini bus, 7% by metro

trains, 6% by auto. Some of the respondents also said that they used taxi sometimes for 2% of

their journey trips. Although they used the bus the most, the fear of victimization and most

unsafe public transport rated by them was the bus. 64% (of the total) of the respondents said

that they felt very unsafe and most harassed while travelling by bus. It gives a clear indication

that there is a need to think about public bus transport system which is the most frequent used

mode of transport.


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Figure2. Frequency of mode choice of public transport

4.4 Experience of harassment

"Press Enclave Road, New Delhi, late night woman with a child in her arms

waiting for the bus. Almost dark, bright enough just to spot the bus coming

towards the stop. Yes there is a bus stop but unlit, almost shaded by the trees and

with a very high curb, yet high enough to be able to be climbed for young,

surrounded by the barren land occupied by the temporary homes of daily workers,

uneven or absent footpaths, which makes the bus stop almost inadequate and

unsafe place for a woman. She stands on the road very close to the high curb,

risking herself to accident, in order to avoid the time lapse between the bus stop

and the bus, as the stopping time is very less. At last the public bus arrives, it is

always a struggle to climb it as the bus never stops at the designated stop and it is

too high to climb which takes a lot of effort, anyhow she gets in. Yet bus thought

to be a safe vehicle for women, but the fear of victimization of the woman does

not disappear. She is more alert and attentive due to the presence of men around

her in the bus."

The observed woman at the bus stop was clearly fearful as she was afraid of the possible

sources of danger due to the lonely dark desolate bus stop surroundings and the unwanted

environment of the bus.

The respondents indicated many causes of victimization through the different stages of

their journey. The safety concern was major among the bus riders in this area. The whole of

the road represented scary settings for them especially at night time. 35% (70 of the total)

respondents felt most unsafe in the bus and 34% (68 of the total) atthe bus stop while waiting

for the bus 31% (62 of the total) felt unsafe while coming to and from the destination to bus

stop. Feeling of vulnerability was more among the women at night time. Nearly 66% (132 of

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Standard Buses Mini Buses Metro Trains Auto Taxi

Frequency of use of public transport

most unsafe public transport


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the total) of the respondents felt unsafe during night while 34% (68 of the total) felt unsafe

during both day and night. Most of the respondents preferred to travel with dependants,

especially during night. More than 74% (148 of the total) of the respondents have been the

victim of some kind of crime at the bus stop or on the bus. Most of the crime involved eve

teasing and robbery. Most of the incidents took place at the bus stop, some at the bus and

others at the roadside while coming to and from the transit vehicle.

There are different factors which contribute to the lack of safety in public transport in

this area in Delhi. The absence of functional infrastructures from the starting of the journey to

end, create an unsafe environment for the commuters. Table3.Shows the different

infrastructure issues which create a fear of victimization have as perceived by the respondents.

Feeling of victimization was high on the busses, the respondentshighlighted many

issues they faced while travelling by bus. 32% (64 of the total) claimed that the Public

Transport Buses does not long wait for the women to board or exit, 24% (48 of the total)

respondents said that the buses did not stop at the designated bus stop, 24% (48 of the total)

said the crowding during boarding and alighting was an issue and 16% (32 of the total)

claimed that wide platform-bus gap is also not safe, 4% claimed the behaviour of the bus

personal was improper.

The survey responses also found that the respondents had a high fear of victimization

at the bus stops. Unlit bus stopsat night also act as the hot spots for the commuters to become

the victims. 40% (80 of the total) respondents said that they were very uncomfortable and felt

fear at night due to the lack of lighting at bus stops. 16% (32 of the total) of the respondents

also said that the bus stops with no signage or information gave them a feeling of being lost,

as they had to ask somebody for the location. Firstly this is only possible if there are some

people around which is very rare at night. Secondly if they asked someone who had no good

intention can put them in more danger. 6% (12 of the total) said that the bus stops with no

shelter are always confusion, as they can cot access the exact space where the bus will stop.

This creates a last minute panic at the high crowd time during office hours. Lack of visible

police and absence of CCTVs also were the cause of fear of victimization for the 40% (80 of

the total) respondents at the bus stop.

While travelling by the bus 25% (50 of the total) respondent’s concerned cause of fear

of victimization was the crowd.They said that the crowd gave chance to the offender for their

improper behaviour.21% (42 of the total) said that lack of information on emergency numbers

and absence of CCTVs on the buses was also the major fear factors. 10% (20 of the total)

reported that the bus did not long wait to board or exit and 11% (22 of the total) said that the

wide platform-bus gap obstructed their movement, again creating a last minute panic.15% (30

of the total) said that there is no access to security and they are not able to report the crime on

the spot. 3% (6 of the total) said that they were also fearful of the inappropriate behaviour by

the bus personnel and 3% (6 of the total) said that women’s only seats were not enforced

which made them sit along with the unwanted men.

Among the factors which affected the security of women in this area while coming to

and from the destination to the bus stop the major are unlit bus stops, Insufficient &

obstructed footpath, Crowded public transport, Lack of information on emergency numbers

and Lack of visible police.

This data is case specific and also there can be a variation in the priority of the issues

it terms of the most unsafe or dangerous according to the area of survey.

Table3. Issues pertaining to specific journey legs and their seriousness

Kind of

Space Factors Frequency

Percentage

distribution

Standard

deviation Mean


2400

At the bus

stop

Unlit bus stops 80 40 .95 4.49

Lack of signage /

information 32 16 1.02 2.64

Lack of visible police 40 20 1.21 3.42

Unsheltered bus stop 6 3 1.59 1.78

Lack of designated seating

area for women 8 4 .67 1.44

CCV not present /

operational 30 15 .67 3.76

Using the

public

transport

vehicle

Access to security 30 15 .65 3.81

The public transport did

not long wait to board or

exit

20 10 1.13 2.68

Crowded public transport. 50 25 .92 4.12

Inappropriate behaviour by

the bus personnel 6 3 1.06 1.80

Women only seats are not

enforced 6 3 1.1 1.86

Lack of information on

emergency numbers 42 21 1.04 3.64

Wide platform-bus gap 22 11 1.08 2.15

CCTV not operational on

the standard buses 24 12 1.07 2.19

To and

from the

destination

to the bus

stop

Insufficient & obstructed

footpath 60 30 .99 4.32

Absence of and

inconsistent street lighting 56 28 1.06 4.23

Deserted lonely stretches 44 22 1.1 3.61

Bus stops located at

isolated / unsafe areas 40 20 1.02 3.58

The respondents also claimed that they have often been a victim or seen somebody in that

situation but could not report. Nearly 38% (76 of the total) pointed out that if they would

report the process is too tedious, 5% (10 of the total) said they would be blamed for the miss

happening, 23% (46 of the total) said that no proper actions would be taken. This

underreporting or ignorance of the crimes has also increased the chances of such miss

happenings.

4.5 Results from rapid assessment and Safety audit

For the safety audit nine broad parameters taken were lighting, openness, visibility, crowd,

security, walk path, public transport, gender diversity and feeling of safety. This assessment

was done on a scale of 1 to 5.

The safety audit was done along the stretch taken on Press Enclave Road. This audit

was done separately by 25 people at separate times of the day between 6 am in the morning to

9 pm at night. Then the average was taken to get themost reasonable result.


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Poorly planned infrastructure, broken and irregular footpaths, poor conditions of

streetlight, lack of public and private security, low openness and low gender diversity are the

major issues in this area, making the area more unsafe, especially for women.

Table4. Safety audit data

Area Av. Rating Description

Lighting 1.5 Not functional or broken

Openness 1.5 Streets occupied by parked cars and rickshaw

Visibility 1.5 After dark - matter of concern

Crowd 2 Crowed

Security .5 Irregular patrolling

Walk path 1.02 Partially constructed or Occupied

Gender usage 2.19 Male dominated

Transport 3.05 Only available on main roads and in poor condition

Feeling 1.33 Low feeling of safety

4.6 Suggestions by the respondents

The women were also asked about their suggestions on the improvement of the public

transport system. To reduce the incidence of harassments and thus to lessen the fear of

victimization they gave many suggestions. Their most important suggestion was the proper

lighting throughout the streets and at the bus stops. Suggestions also came for visible police in

the area and at the bus stop. They also suggested increasing the frequency of women special

buses in that area.Others suggestion of proper footpath and visible signage and information

also came up.

5. Discussion and implications

5.1 Acknowledging women’s fear of crime

“Women would be less likely to participate in the labour force when perceived

threat of crime against women is high and the deterrent effect is likely to be

stronger in traditional societies”. (Chakraborty, 2014)

It is evident from this survey that real or perceived fear of victimization in public transport of

women has to be dealt with. Being important, Transport operators and city planners should be

struggling to address this issue. It is important for a systematic, continuous and long term

social and educational programs. Although these programs are very effective but require a lot

of changes and time. Reducing women’s fear and promoting safety in transportation can be

easily done through planning and design of the transport infrastructure systems.

The survey also reveals that there is a wide gap inwomen’s safety is transportation and

provision of street and vehicle infrastructure. Design and planning strategies are easier to

implement and enforce and also lessen the crime and increase safety for women. Although the


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design strategies are limited to the type of crime they are meant for it is one of the important

contributors in reducing women’s fear and preventing crime.

5.2 Crime prevention Crime prevention through environmental design as suggested by Jacob breaks the social

control of criminal activities (Jacobs, 1991). Natural surveillance was emphasised by her who

discouraged the criminal activity. Studies have also shown that certain urban form and bus

stop characteristics also attract transit crime (Loukaitou-Sideris etal.2001). On the other hand

some of the environmental features deter crimes.

It is clear from the survey done that certain environmental and design features like

darkness, crowd and lack of natural surveillance often present in certain environment make

the area more prone to crimes. Good design can make a big difference in crime prevention.

5.3 Measures and solutions: protection through planning and design

A lot of work has been done for crime prevention through environmental design in the

western countries; it still needs to develop in India. The public space in India is male

dominant and the crime prevention by women relies on the technique of avoiding, ignoring

and travelling in groups (Pain R., 1991).

Design and planning interventions can help lessen the fear of crime increasing the

feeling of safety. Feeling of safety raises the chances of free movement and physical activity.

The emphasis is on the crimes at a micro scale as these are more space specific and are on a

regular occurring basis.On Press Enclave Road these spaces include street corners,

intersections, unlit streets and footpath on the way, unlit bus stops with abandoned spaces

around it and in appropriate infrastructure, parking lots and infrastructure within the bus etc.

Environmental solutions – this solution includes appropriate changes to the travelling

environment, infrastructure enhancement for women, women friendly and women inclusive

design. Technological solutions – this includes the many aspect of technology which can be

used for safety in transport infrastructure. It includes all such as smart phones, CCTV,

emergency buttons, help lines, schedule and changes display etc. Enforcement systems and

training – it includes all sorts of women safety operations, training of staff, policing, gender

sensitive training and many more.

5.3.1 Environmental solutions

Environmental factors that enhance safety or reduce fear of victimization can be achieved

through design solutions applied to transportation network. From the survey it was observed

that respondents said that they are more comfortable and felt safe in presence of a visible

police staff. “Keeping an environment clean not only encourages positive behaviour therefore

discouraging potential perpetrators; it also makes things feel comfortable for someone who

might have anxiety or fear.” (Denise Snyder, DC Rape Crisis Center)

Bus stop location – Bus stops should be located away from deserted and desolate areas and

near people and activities.

Bus stop design – bus stops should be women friendly designed and should allow a good

visibility for natural surveillance.

Lighting the streets & stops – Most of the area is dark or poorly lit which clearly is an

indication in support of crime. Good lighting of the streets and bus stops can reduce physical

attack and perception of fear.

Installing CCTV – To increase the surveillance the light source should be connected to the

closed circuit television (CCTV).


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Reducing isolation – Unoccupied streets and barren areas generate fear, they create isolation

and thus provide opportunities for crime. There is a need of fencing which should be see-

through in order to reduce isolation and building designs with windows facing the streets

provide natural surveillance.

Segregation of spaces – Women-only-buses or coaches have been introduced in many

countries like Brazil, Bangladesh, Japan, Egypt, Mexico and many others. Japan is using this

strategy for 100years.

5.3.2 Technological Solutions

It was also found that respondents also had an interest for technological solutions. This can be

very useful for the time scheduling and can reduce the wait time at the bus stops.

Panic buttons & CCTV: (inside vehicles, on platforms or at the bus stops)

Smartphone Apps which help the women to share their experiences and can report incidents

create maps of the incident location, track the passengers etc.

Social media created by transit networks are also useful strategies to create safety awareness

among women passengers.

Websites also help the women to report their incidents and the stops which make it easier for

the authorities to spot the risk zones.

5.3.3 Enforcement systems and training

Awareness campaigns and demonstrations on this issue are the basic to reach to the

community. Some of the respondents felt that the transit agencies and women interest groups

should organize public education workshops and programmes. Public information signs were

also preferred by the respondents as it encourages the victim to speak up and let not hide the

incident.USA in Boston, New York and Washington, Bangalore (India), Curitiba (Brazil),

London (UK), Paris (France) and Mexico City (Mexico) have recognised the benefits of these

campaigns and have made different interventions on this issue.

5.3.4 Other strategies

Through this survey it was observed that there is need for many more strategies to overcome

this feeling of victimization in public transport. Strategies like special escort programs for

female commuters during the rush hours and provision for them at night to get off where ever

they want. The passes should be affordable as most the public transit users belonged to a

lower income group. There should be Information and signages on the bus stops about the bus

schedule which will reduce the wait time and it will give the knowledge of the area. Last but

not the least it was found that the respondents emphasised on the incorporation of women in

the transportation planning process.

6. CONCLUSION

Data from the survey done on Press Enclave Road, Delhi shows that there is whole range of

issues that contributes to the women’s of feeling of being victimized in public transport and

restricts them from free movement. India is a male dominant country where the issues on

women safety still lie unnoticed. This was a preliminary study and in depth study on the


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women’s safety in transportation systems need to be done for all parts of Delhi as well as

India.

Assuming that the study can be found useful and some of the measures will be

implementedand this study will encourage more studies that will create safer and more

effective transportation systems for safety of women in India.

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identifying and addressing the issue of women’s fear of

Documents