<p>With growing financial independence, more working women in Delhi have started driving cars. However, lesser number of girls and women ride two-wheelers in Delhi as compared to other cities. This has also commonly been observed by those who hail from other places and have shifted here. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Automobile companies’ confirm the fact. According to them, Delhi is not a very encouraging market for two-wheelers for women owing to a variety of reasons. Safe and comfortable Metro and heavy traffic are some reasons. <br /><br />Anu Anamika, National Marketing head of Suzuki Motorcycle, says, “In places like Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune and Udaipur, which have seen development over the years, even middle-aged working women ride gearless scooters.”<br /><br />“In fact in Bangalore, many women who have cars, also maintain two-wheelers because it is easier to ride scooters than a car in heavy traffic. Here, women don’t prefer riding scooters for a combination of reasons. Traffic is too heavy, distances are long and now the Metro is the first easy option available to those who don’t drive cars,” she says. <br /><br />Piaggio Vehicle’s chairman and managing director Ravi Chopra says, in Delhi the percentage of women driving two-wheelers is lower than some of the other metros as commuting distances are longer. <br /><br />“Women in Delhi prefer four-wheelers or private transport. Cities like Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai have a large number of women driving two-wheelers. These cities are more conducive for women to ride and distances are not as much when compared to Delhi,” says Ravi. <br /><br />“When compared to other cities, traffic is heavier. It is quite tiring to ride in these conditions. The extreme weather conditions also make two-wheeler riding much more of an effort,” he adds. <br /><br />Those who do ride two-wheelers in Delhi say, besides traffic, the issue of safety and security is also a concern. Priyanka Gupta, a professional who works in Gurgaon, says ‘unsafe’ environment for women in Delhi was her mother’s primary concern when she began riding gearless scooters around five years ago. <br /><br />“Now, I ride freely and confidently but initially even I was scared. However, I too never ride long-distance because in Delhi traffic, it is neither easy nor safe. Now, I notice that a lot of girls in NCR also ride scooters. It does bring a sense of independence,” she says. <br /><br />Payal Banik, who rode everyday from Delhi to her college in Faridabad, says the safety should not be an issue because girls usually drive safe. <br /><br />“In the last six years, I have not experienced any misbehaviour. I do know that parents are generally hesitant fearing accidents and people tailing the vehicle. My father too had objected. But the number of women driving scooters, is increasing now,” says Payal. <br /></p>
<p>With growing financial independence, more working women in Delhi have started driving cars. However, lesser number of girls and women ride two-wheelers in Delhi as compared to other cities. This has also commonly been observed by those who hail from other places and have shifted here. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Automobile companies’ confirm the fact. According to them, Delhi is not a very encouraging market for two-wheelers for women owing to a variety of reasons. Safe and comfortable Metro and heavy traffic are some reasons. <br /><br />Anu Anamika, National Marketing head of Suzuki Motorcycle, says, “In places like Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune and Udaipur, which have seen development over the years, even middle-aged working women ride gearless scooters.”<br /><br />“In fact in Bangalore, many women who have cars, also maintain two-wheelers because it is easier to ride scooters than a car in heavy traffic. Here, women don’t prefer riding scooters for a combination of reasons. Traffic is too heavy, distances are long and now the Metro is the first easy option available to those who don’t drive cars,” she says. <br /><br />Piaggio Vehicle’s chairman and managing director Ravi Chopra says, in Delhi the percentage of women driving two-wheelers is lower than some of the other metros as commuting distances are longer. <br /><br />“Women in Delhi prefer four-wheelers or private transport. Cities like Pune, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai have a large number of women driving two-wheelers. These cities are more conducive for women to ride and distances are not as much when compared to Delhi,” says Ravi. <br /><br />“When compared to other cities, traffic is heavier. It is quite tiring to ride in these conditions. The extreme weather conditions also make two-wheeler riding much more of an effort,” he adds. <br /><br />Those who do ride two-wheelers in Delhi say, besides traffic, the issue of safety and security is also a concern. Priyanka Gupta, a professional who works in Gurgaon, says ‘unsafe’ environment for women in Delhi was her mother’s primary concern when she began riding gearless scooters around five years ago. <br /><br />“Now, I ride freely and confidently but initially even I was scared. However, I too never ride long-distance because in Delhi traffic, it is neither easy nor safe. Now, I notice that a lot of girls in NCR also ride scooters. It does bring a sense of independence,” she says. <br /><br />Payal Banik, who rode everyday from Delhi to her college in Faridabad, says the safety should not be an issue because girls usually drive safe. <br /><br />“In the last six years, I have not experienced any misbehaviour. I do know that parents are generally hesitant fearing accidents and people tailing the vehicle. My father too had objected. But the number of women driving scooters, is increasing now,” says Payal. <br /></p>
