Free bus, Metro rides scheme: What Delhi women think

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that the Delhi government has proposed free rides for women on the Delhi transport Corporation (DTC) buses, as well as the Delhi Metro.

"On all DTC buses, cluster buses and metro trains, women will be allowed to travel free of cost so that they have a safe travel experience and can access modes of transport which they were not able to earlier due to high prices," Arvind Kejriwal said.

Arvind Kejriwal also said that the Delhi government's latest move will encourage the use of public transport which is the 'safest' for women.

DO WOMEN THINK THE SAME WAY?

Do they feel safe while travelling in DTC buses? India Today TV did a reality check and spoke to women in the capital to see if they look at this investment by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as an enhancement in women security.

Most women said that they would not prefer DTC buses because they do not feel safe and also DTC buses are mostly overcrowded.

Some also feared robbery and thievery in DTC buses.

One girl -- Ragini Sharma who is a college student -- right outside the Mata Sundari College for women in Delhi said that she was touched inappropriately once while she was travelling in a DTC bus and hasn't taken the mode of transport since.

While another said that she too fears her safety since her brother was robbed of his cell phone and then was thrown off the bus.

Almost all girls said that they fear their safety in an overcrowded DTC bus and would never prefer taking it to college.

Almost all women said that they haven't been taking the DTC buses for ages now. Many said that they prefer taking the Metro and would continue doing so even if the DTC bus services were free for them.

Another girl Shalini Gupta, who had come with her brother, said that the chief minister's move is a welcoming one. While her brother Rahul said that he would prefer taking his sister everywhere himself instead of letting her take a public mode of transport keeping in mind the kind of safety arrangements that are in place for women in Delhi.

Another girl who had come with her father seemed happy with the chief minister's announcement. The father said that he would be more than happy to encourage his daughter to take a DTC bus to college if the safety arrangements are tightened.

While free rides for women may help those who cannot afford anything at all but how does the Delhi government's new initiative increase the safety of the rest remains unclear.

LACK OF CONNECTIVITY

Lack of connectivity is one the major problems in the outer areas of Delhi.

India Today TV spoke to the Kamini Jha, a freelance journalist.

She said, "Metro helps us a lot. It is safe and secure mode of transport but what happens after Metro journey? We have to take an e-rickshaw. My home is five km from the metro station where I get off, and the availability of the buses is a major issue."

Other girls too shared same experiences.

But Manish Singhal, a pulses trader, is worried about some other thing. He said, "My daughter travels through Delhi Metro. We have good income and can easily pay for the ticket prices, but even then people now will look at her as if she is travelling without a ticket."