Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Monday, announced free travel for women in public transport, including Delhi Metro. Although the commute is made free, women still can pay for their tickets if they are willing to.
Safety for women in public transport has been a constant subject of debate in India. A total of 2,043 rape cases were registered in Delhi in 2018 - a marginal decline from the 2,059 rape cases in 2017 and 2,065 rape cases in 2016. The 2012 gang rape case in Delhi also sparked multiple protests across the nation.
Dinesh Mohan, a transport expert with the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, told the BBC that making public transport free wouldn't solve the problem.
"You need to think about the entire journey and not just the metro - you have to take into account how safe or unsafe sidewalks are and what the journey to the metro station is like in the first place. So if the idea is to make it safer for women, that experience has to be continuous. Safety can't begin and end at the metro station. I don't see any thought behind this initiative yet," he told the BBC.
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Most public transportation services, like metros and buses, have special vehicles or compartments for women. Delhi Metro also has a helpline for women to contact in case of emergencies.
For immediate assistance in case of an emergency, please call 155370 for DMRC Helpline,1091 for Women Helpline and 1511 for the Metro Police. Your quick action could save somebody. pic.twitter.com/zTyJOHkkPr
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) June 1, 2019
But, does making the bus and metro tickets free by choice for women, guarantee the safety that the public transport wishes to promote?
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The hashtags, #freemetroforwomen, #DelhiMetro, #AAPKaFreebie and #womensafety have been trending all over, with Tweeple voicing multiple opinions, both for and against this notion.
AAP ministers and politicians welcomed the notion and claimed to have even spoken to the public for feedback.
Total expenditure to build Delhi Metro till date is 1.0 Lac cr. Total annual fare collection is 3000 cr only. After spending such a huge amount and fare collection less than operational cost, ideally Metro should be free. #freemetroforwomen is a step in right direction.
— Satyendar Jain (@SatyendarJain) June 3, 2019
I spoke with more than 50 women & many men in DTC buses to understand what they feel about #FreeMetroForWomen ― Not even one citizen said that it's a bad idea
On the contrary, everybody said public transport is more secure for women & it would save them 2-3K rupees per month. pic.twitter.com/lxltV9tQYj
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) June 4, 2019
"अपना भाई, केजरीवाल भाई"
सुन बहना, आज से मेट्रो का किराया तेरा भाई देगा :)
स्टेचू बनवा कर पैसे खराब नही करेगा, न ही चुनाव में हिन्दू-मुसलमान-पाकिस्तान करेगा। pic.twitter.com/T45mTV4TFk
— Richa Pandey Mishra (@richapandey) June 4, 2019
The public and many notable personalities called it a "wonderful" idea and said that they have begun taking the Metro instead of private transport after this.
Women in Delhi will get a free ride on buses and the metro. What a wonderful idea @ArvindKejriwal ! Will Mumbai emulate this? All the trouble we are going through for the construction of the metro will then be worth it.
— Pritish Nandy (@PritishNandy) June 3, 2019
I have started traveling more frequently in delhi metro these days and so does my daughter. But we will pay for our tkts. Dont need #FreeRidesForHer 🙏🏼 If we are capable of paying, we MUST pay...
— richa anirudh (@richaanirudh) June 4, 2019
Middle class women will say how stupid, this is not what's needed for safety. But it's not about safety. It's about monthly budgets of working class women. The elephant in the room remains working class men. Suddenly they don't seem to matter.
— Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) June 3, 2019
People objecting to free Metro rides citing overcrowding are really showing their disgust at sharing public spaces with the working classes. While the Delhi govt has announced free rides for women in both DTC buses and the Metro, the outrage is only coming from Metro commuters.
— Aathira (@aathira_vk) June 3, 2019
On the other hand, many others have directly called out the activist-turned-politician, saying that it is a stunt to get the vote of women in Delhi, ahead of the Delhi Assembly election coming up next year.
Arvind Kejriwal is proof that in India educated politicians are as likely to promote daft ideas as uneducated ones. pic.twitter.com/yzVe9SWW15
— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) June 4, 2019
Why does @ArvindKejriwal not offer free ride to school children in Delhi Metro? Oh yes, i forgot, the kids cannot vote. #AAPFreeTicket
— Suresh Kochattil (@kochattil) June 3, 2019
Wow Kejriwal Ji! What a move.
Is this the reaction you expect from Women in Delhi?Sorry to disappoint you but please take a note,we don’t sell our votes for free metro and bus rides.
— Prerna Bhardwaj (@prernabhardwaj_) June 3, 2019
Free rides for women in #DelhiMetro. So a poor man will be paying while a rich woman will be exempted just because she's a woman. What kind of feminism is this #ArvindKejriwal?
— Sir Jadeja fan (@SirJadeja) June 3, 2019
Girls: *has to fight conservative parents every day just to be able to step outside go work at an office that pays her 30% lesser than a guy with a lower skillset*
Guys: "Arre ladiz log ke liye Delhi Metro is free wHaT aBoUt eQuAliTy nOw?"
— Akshar (@AksharPathak) June 4, 2019
Free ride on Delhi metro is a good idea, which will lead to some situations. a) I am very confident that some men will dress up as women. b) Making guards suspect most women to be men. c)Current scientific definition of woman is the politically correct nonsense: 'We don't know' &
— Manu Joseph (@manujosephsan) June 4, 2019
Many have also posed questions to the Delhi CM, both on the feasibility and the unavailability of the scheme to men of the economically weaker section.
What kind of tax-funded mad populism is this? Free travel for women on Delhi Metro and DTC buses will not assure safety. It will only assure Rs 1600 crore of tax money being wasted per year. Hopefully @ArvindKejriwal will not get requisite permission. #Delhi #India https://t.co/TDZGAb2WdV
— Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) June 3, 2019
What Kejriwal promised in 2015 for Women's Safety:
- CCTVs in Public Spaces & Buses
- 10,000 Women’s Security ForceWhat Kejriwal delivered in 2019 for Women's Safety:
- Free travel for women in Delhi buses & Metro
What about Poor labourers Men?
They've to pay for everything
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) June 4, 2019
•@ArvindKejriwal Ji my 4 questions to You ..
1) How many Buses are needed to cater to 2 Crore+ Delhiites?
2) How many Buses were in Delhi when you took over in Feb 2015?
3) How many Buses are in Delhi Now?
4) Have u cleared Phase 4 Metro & it’s financial Implications?
— Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) June 3, 2019
Some Legit Q @ArvindKejriwal
Which lane will be 4 Free Riders?
How'll women who want to pay pay?
How will Metro authorities deter freeloaders who'll ride all day in want of AC, with no way to check In time Out time
Charge Children but Adult Women ride for FreeWhat? #DelhiMetro
— Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) June 3, 2019
There have been multiple replies from both sides of the arguments, to defend their stance.
Hate to remind this, but Nirbhaya was gang raped in a bus in Delhi. At that time the country didn’t protest over free rides for the women but for making the capital safe for its women to be able to take a bus or metro at any time of the day. Get your priorities right!
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) June 3, 2019
1. Nirbhaya was raped in a private bus. That's exactly what Delhi Govt wants to discourage by providing free travel in the safer DTC buses & Metro.
2. Pvt transport safety is responsibility of @delhipolice which is under yr beloved leader. Flippant remarks display yr shallowness https://t.co/1tSxZNMdFn— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) June 3, 2019
Women in Delhi still need to wait and see if the announcement will be actually implemented since the proposal is yet to be approved by the federal government. The federal government is an equity partner along with the Delhi government in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Kejriwal has said that the Delhi government will bear the cost. Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot mentioned that they did not require any permission from the central government, as the move qualifies as a subsidy.
