[FIRST ON HERSTORY] Indian women want more when it comes to urban mobility systems, reveals a Ola Mobility Institute study

Women are constantly making decisions about modes of transport, based on safety, cleanliness, last mile connectivity, cost, and comfort. Mobility hence is one of the key factors for women to be a part of the workforce and succeed. It is key to their participation in the economy and to also lead a better and fuller life.

With this perspective, the policy and social innovation think-tank of the ride-hailing platform Ola, the Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) has released a report titled ‘What Do Women and Girls Want from Urban Mobility Systems?’

The report encapsulates the findings of the survey of 9,935 women and girls across 11 Indian cities and reveals the perspectives of urban mobility in India.

Presenting this report first on HerStory, the co-authors of the report, Sonal Shah and Aishwarya Raman shared the key learnings from the report, their own experiences and why all this data is so important if we want to see more and more women participate in the workforce.

“Women and girls are not silent spectators but form opinions, and actively make choices and decisions about how to commute. Urban transport can enable women to participate in the workforce and to live a fuller life,” says Aishwarya Raman, Associate Director of  OMI.

Sonal Shah an external research consultant, sheds light on why it is as important to pay attention to mobility as much as to other social challenges and issues women face. According to her, “ As India grows, women and girls’ mobility should be mainstreamed, and this starts with data collection - both qualitative and quantitative. Mobility surveys must measure travel differences and inequities across gender, occupations and income groups so that transport investments enhance their life opportunities.”  

The four key parameters on which the survey was conducted includes- demography, non-motorised transport (such as bicycle or walking), public transport as well as private motor vehicles.

Public transport and usage patterns

The report throws up interesting data especially about public transport. Of the women who took the survey, 59 percent used public transport. If we break this down into the means of transport, then women constitute 38 per cent of bus users, 35 percent of metro/ train users and 40-45 of rickshaw, on-demand taxi and other shared mode, users.

While 96 percent women are willing to use public transport, and the reasons why they want to use public transport is because of affordability. 40 percent feel it is affordable, 26 percent will use it for convenience, 18 percent for time saved time and 15 percent stated that they had no other option.

What do women want from urban mobility?

Women shared the need for footpaths and cycle tracks. Seventy-four percent of women stated that footpaths and 68 percent stated that cycle tracks are required in cities.

As regards last mile connectivity, 77 percent of women felt that last mile connectivity needed to be improved and 89 percent of women felt that the public transport information system could be better designed. So that information is easily available and accessible

Other elements they felt needed attention and improvement include patrolling in the secluded area, improved street lighting, safer road crossings and other amenities such as public toilets.

You can download the report here.