No public transport is safe. Will you ban everything, ask Delhi women

After the Delhi transport department proposed a not-so-welcome idea of banning app-based shared cabs under a new city taxi scheme, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has said that the reason behind it is the government's concern for women's safety. He tweeted on Thursday, "I agree that ride-sharing is a good idea. This is being discussed within the govt. Our concern is women safety. Sharing a ride with strangers may not be safe for women."

However, the city's female commuters say that from buses to the Metro, they have been harassed in all forms of public transport – will those be banned as well? In fact, most of them agree that travelling in a shared cabs might actually be the safest option for them.

'I have been touched inappropriately in buses and the metro, but never in a shared cab'
Vandana, who lives in Chhatarpur and works in Greater Noida, says, "During rush hours, cabs are usually unavailable and then it's a better option to go for a shared ride. It might not be completely safe, but neither is any other public transport. I feel as safe or unsafe in a cab as in any other public transport. I have been touched inappropriately several times in a bus and the general compartment of the Metro, but that has never happened in a shared cab even once in the last two years."

'My office area is a flat-rate zone and my co-passengers are other officegoers'
Mri Dutta, who works in a bank in Noida, says, "Shared rides are economically feasible. My office area is marked as a flat-rate zone by cab service providers. Sometimes there are also offers when you share a ride. And it's not just cheap, it's safe too. When I take a cab from office, my co-passengers are mostly those who work in nearby offices, so I don't have any problem in sharing a ride. And the cab service providers also give you the option to pick a group, so it's better to pick these options for safety. Banning shared rides is bizarre. If the government is so concerned about safety then why not introduce safer options and late night transport options?"
Shared cabs in the city and NCR (BCCL/Ranjit Kumar)

'In shared cabs, people don’t touch you inappropriately and say 'Galti se ho gaya''
Chanya Jaitly, a third-year student of Maitreyi College, tells us, "I think cabs are the safest option when you are taking public transport. In buses, people often touch you quite brazenly and say, 'Galti se ho gaya'. Not just in buses, this happens in the general compartment of the Metro as well. All kinds of people take buses and the Metro, and there is no way to limit how many passengers can be squeezed in. Log chadhte hi rehte hain. In shared cabs, you know that the driver will not allow more than four passengers, and they will not touch you inappropriately and say 'Galti se ho gaya'. I have taken shared cabs many times and I have never had any problem. In fact, I feel safer in a shared cab because when you are travelling alone, you can never be fully sure about the driver. But when you are with people, at least you feel that there are others in the cab with you."
Delhi's female commuters tell us that they think shared cab is the safest option when it comes to taking public transport (BCCL/Ranjit Kumar)
'We feel more unsafe in metros and buses, will those be banned as well?'
Srijan Chawla, a second-year student from Kalindi College, says, "I took a bus from Patel Nagar to Rohini two weeks ago and a man who stood behind me kept touching me. I asked him to move away but he said that there was no place. I do not face these things in shared cabs because nobody is going to stand that close to you. All the women I know refrain from boarding the Metro's general compartment for the same reason. You can't ban shared cabs if you are concerned about women's safety. By that logic, we are more unsafe in the Metro and buses, will those be banned as well? I have never felt unsafe in shared cabs. I have never experienced or heard of any incident when someone was bothered by a fellow passenger. I do not think banning shared cabs is a good idea, because women don't face any problem in shared cabs."

DTC buses (BCCL/Ranjit Kumar)
'If we do not travel with strangers, how do you want us to travel?'
Arsh Dadhwal, a student of Ambedkar University, says, 'I have travelled in shared cabs at odd hours and fortunately, I have not had a problem till date. Plus, it is cheaper. Why would I pay Rs 200 for a ride that can cost me Rs 60? If we do not travel with strangers, how do you expect us to travel? Women travel with strangers in buses, which are more unsafe, then we should ban that as well. The ratio of women to men in most DTC buses is 1:30, that is more dangerous, why are we not concerned about that?"

'Can we have more women drivers and women-only cabs?'
Ankima Sharma, who works in a software company in Defence Colony and lives in Vasundhara Enclave, says, "I have shared autorickshaws, e-rickshaws and commuted through every public transport. I feel the app-based services are more convenient and safe. It's is true that co-passengers often misbehave, argue and even fight, but they do it in every other public transport. Then why single out shared cabs? There should be initiatives like hiring women cab driver, including cab-sharing only for women like there’s a separate Metro coach for women, which is a huge relief for daily commuters."

'I have been molested and stalked in other modes of public transport too'
Apra Karn, who works in an IT company in Gurgaon and lives in Green Park, says, "Whenever I take any public transport, I am conscious about who's staring at me and who's sitting next to me. I often take shared autos because my PG is not far from the Metro station and it costs just Rs 10. However, shared autos are congested and when there are five-six people sitting on each side, the chances of people touching you inappropriately are higher. Will they now ban shared autorickshaws and DTC buses as well?"
Women also opt for shared autos in the city (BCCL/Ranjit Kumar)