Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women's Inter-city Bus Travel
Ashte, ladies! Kole bachcha ache!
(” Slow down for the lady, and she’s got a child in tow!”)
One hears this age-old refrain from bus conductors in Kolkata - and a similar version of the same in other places - when a woman passenger is boarding a public bus.
A basic level of awareness about the special needs of women from bus transport has always existed. However, this has not led to tangible changes in the experience of bus travel for women. The problems range from lack of safety at pickup and drop points to sexual harassment onboard, making it the least preferred mode of transport for women for both intra-city and inter-city travel. While some state governments have taken corrective measures such as appointing bus marshals and making bus transport free for women, these measures remain restricted to intra-city buses. Inter-city bus transport for women has not yet seen significant improvement driven by either policy change or behaviour change.
Tech-enabled and organised players hold the key to expanding access to safe inter-city bus travel for women. Bus brands that adopt cutting edge technology and invest in training onboard staff can shorten women travellers’ planning windows and save their time and money. As more women join the workforce and start their own businesses, there will be an increase in demand for safe, comfortable, and hygienic bus seats from women travellers going to another city for business or leisure. If private bus operators are able to meet this demand with the right product, they can create a win-win situation.
Affordable mobility can contribute to women’s economic empowerment greatly. Over the course of the last decade, the Government of India has invested disproportionately in infrastructure. Today, we have world-class highways and expressways connecting various parts of the country. Enabling women to take advantage of this infrastructure by increasing their ease of mobility can lead to phenomenal outcomes for the economy.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey Report 2022-23 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in October 2023 revealed that the Female Labour Force Participation Rate in India improved by 4.2 percentage points to 37.0 per cent in 2023, as per ‘usual status’ concept of measuring labour force participation. This positive trend can be accelerated if women have more opportunity to travel inter-city safely and comfortably. Women are also lagging behind men in leadership roles with only 14 per cent women working as managers or senior officials in 2023. Effective leadership often involves being able to move quickly and seize opportunities. Better inter-city buses can be an enabler for women who want to do just that.
Tech-enabled and organised bus brands also need their own set of enablers. Regulatory clarity on permits, equitable access to public terminals and infrastructure support for a premium pickup and drop experience are at the top of the list. Operators are also troubled by petty corruption of police officials and price fixing among incumbents in some inter-city routes. The Government of India as well as state governments must recognise the value addition of technology-enabled bus brands, who can leverage their data to help inform policies around mobility for women as well as boosting tourism and empowering small and medium businesses in the bus transport ecosystem.
To be sure, the bus brands will have to lead the way. Their product mindset can not only optimise for profitability.
Female travellers' adoption of tech-enabled, branded buses has already seen an increase, with a national average of 8-10 per cent growing to 15-18 per cent in the last few years. However, there is a long way to go till we hit the magic figure of 50 per cent and the entire ecosystem will have to play a role in unleashing India’s nari shakti.
Author is the Managing Director of FlixBus India
