<p>With negligible police patrolling and inadequate street lighting in some of the most remote areas, Delhi has not been able to do away with the tag of ‘crime capital’.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Despite the outrage over the Sunday last gang rape incident, not much has been done to improve the situation. <br /><br />Delhi roads after dark, that is after 5.30 pm in winter, start getting deserted at a faster pace compared to other months. <br /><br />According to women living in North Campus, ITO, areas near highways such as GT Karnal bypass and NH-24, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Ridge Road and many other residential colonies, these places get deserted with no buses or police patrolling. <br /><br />“Presence of police personnel is thin in Vasant Kunj. I do not use public transport since it is not safe. I prefer to travel in car, preferably with a driver,” says Aakanksha Bhargava, a Vasant Kunj resident. <br /><br />Urvi Mishra, a resident of Dwarka, says she uses her own vehicle or takes cabs. “I assume Metro is the safest of all public transport available in the city,” she adds.<br />But women who travel in Metro after 8 pm say even they do not feel safe. <br /><br />“Metro does not leave us till our houses. If I reach my station by 9 pm and nobody is at home to pick me up, I get the jitters because I need to take a cyclerickshaw to my house,” says Livleen Kaur, a resident of Rohini. <br /><br />After office hours, most bus routes start seeing a decline in the frequency of buses. “I tried to climb on to a bus at 8.30 pm towards Noida a few days ago as I was not getting an auto. Seeing only eight to ten men who were passing comments and scanning me from top to bottom, I decided not to get on to that bus,” says Sakshi Singh, who was trying to take a bus from Okhla flyover. <br /><br />“I had to call my friend to pick me up,” she adds.<br /><br />She says though most corporate offices are in Okhla Phase-3, there are no lights on the roads and not a single police van. Following the brutal gang rape, corporates in the city have decided to provide pick and drop facilities during dark hours.<br /><br />“Women across sectors who work after 7 pm should get cab facilities. This should become a rule and whoever violates it should be fined daily,” says Rita Mishra, a media professional who travels from south Delhi to Gurgaon for work daily.<br /><br />According to recent surveys done by different groups, it was found that women face the <br />highest risk of sexual harassment in buses and on deserted streets.<br /><br />Some women Deccan Herald spoke to say more women police officers should patrol deserted areas, and bus and cab drivers should be evaluated on a regular basis with proper background check done and verified with police stations.<br /><br />“For instance, I faced eve-teasing in a bus, so I got off at a stand and saw a PCR van in front of me. I approached the police officer, who demanded for the bus number when the bus was leaving in front of him,” says a girl who doesn’t want to be named.<br />“And then the officer said the area does not come under his jurisdiction, and that I should call 100. This is not what we expect from police. A girl who is traumatise will not note down the bus number,” says the girl.</p>
<p>With negligible police patrolling and inadequate street lighting in some of the most remote areas, Delhi has not been able to do away with the tag of ‘crime capital’.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Despite the outrage over the Sunday last gang rape incident, not much has been done to improve the situation. <br /><br />Delhi roads after dark, that is after 5.30 pm in winter, start getting deserted at a faster pace compared to other months. <br /><br />According to women living in North Campus, ITO, areas near highways such as GT Karnal bypass and NH-24, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Ridge Road and many other residential colonies, these places get deserted with no buses or police patrolling. <br /><br />“Presence of police personnel is thin in Vasant Kunj. I do not use public transport since it is not safe. I prefer to travel in car, preferably with a driver,” says Aakanksha Bhargava, a Vasant Kunj resident. <br /><br />Urvi Mishra, a resident of Dwarka, says she uses her own vehicle or takes cabs. “I assume Metro is the safest of all public transport available in the city,” she adds.<br />But women who travel in Metro after 8 pm say even they do not feel safe. <br /><br />“Metro does not leave us till our houses. If I reach my station by 9 pm and nobody is at home to pick me up, I get the jitters because I need to take a cyclerickshaw to my house,” says Livleen Kaur, a resident of Rohini. <br /><br />After office hours, most bus routes start seeing a decline in the frequency of buses. “I tried to climb on to a bus at 8.30 pm towards Noida a few days ago as I was not getting an auto. Seeing only eight to ten men who were passing comments and scanning me from top to bottom, I decided not to get on to that bus,” says Sakshi Singh, who was trying to take a bus from Okhla flyover. <br /><br />“I had to call my friend to pick me up,” she adds.<br /><br />She says though most corporate offices are in Okhla Phase-3, there are no lights on the roads and not a single police van. Following the brutal gang rape, corporates in the city have decided to provide pick and drop facilities during dark hours.<br /><br />“Women across sectors who work after 7 pm should get cab facilities. This should become a rule and whoever violates it should be fined daily,” says Rita Mishra, a media professional who travels from south Delhi to Gurgaon for work daily.<br /><br />According to recent surveys done by different groups, it was found that women face the <br />highest risk of sexual harassment in buses and on deserted streets.<br /><br />Some women Deccan Herald spoke to say more women police officers should patrol deserted areas, and bus and cab drivers should be evaluated on a regular basis with proper background check done and verified with police stations.<br /><br />“For instance, I faced eve-teasing in a bus, so I got off at a stand and saw a PCR van in front of me. I approached the police officer, who demanded for the bus number when the bus was leaving in front of him,” says a girl who doesn’t want to be named.<br />“And then the officer said the area does not come under his jurisdiction, and that I should call 100. This is not what we expect from police. A girl who is traumatise will not note down the bus number,” says the girl.</p>
