Empowering women on wheels

Ensuring gender equality is a key objective of India’s UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the governments at the Centre and states have developed several policies and initiatives to enhance the labour market participation of women in fields traditionally reserved or dominated by men. 

Today, Indian women are employed in mines, the Air Force, and driving bikes and taxis. Women are breaking barriers and becoming increasingly financially independent, undertaking both skilled
and unskilled jobs while balancing their home and work responsibilities. 

As India moves towards Viksit Bharat, it needs to implement minor yet strategic policy adjustments that will enhance women’s earning capabilities while accelerating the country’s progress toward achieving the UNSDGs of gender equality. One such policy tweak in the urban mobility space involves allowing the operation of white number plate bike taxis, subject to certain terms and conditions.

In India, where public transport and four-wheelers are unable to cope with the growing demand for urban mobility solutions, bike taxis are a low-cost alternative. The ease of travel, time efficiency, and affordability provided by bike taxis as a mode of conveyance are unparalleled, especially for the middle class. Bike taxis are not a novel concept, and many countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, and America allow their operation under the respective laws. India’s legislation allows the operation of bike taxis
too, albeit with multiple
considerations.

One such on-the-ground challenge is opposing the use of white number plate bike taxis for transporting passengers. Critics argue that the bike transporting passengers should bear a yellow number plate, as is the case with other commercial vehicles. However, what they miss out on is the social stigma attached to a bike taxi bearing a yellow number plate. More importantly, most of the women who ride bike taxis belong to the larger group of gig workers that don’t buy bikes for primary commercial use but to use them only temporarily as a supplementary income source, as per their convenience.

It is common to see Indian women riding two-wheelers, which they use for work commutes, running errands, or dropping off their children at school. This has allowed them to explore bike taxi gigs to monetise their time and mobility while maintaining their household responsibilities. The model gives them unmatched flexibility.

Yet, while all states want to support women’s labour force participation, few are going the extra mile to encourage this by incorporating relevant policy changes. At the Centre, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines in 2020 in pursuance of Section 93 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. However, to date only 13 states and UTs have notified or published the aggregator guidelines. Even when they are notified, the implementation varies. States like Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, and Meghalaya specifically allow for aggregation of bike taxis. Maharashtra and Goa, as of last month, have also issued draft aggregator guidelines allowing for aggregation of motorcycles. However, Karnataka has suspended bike taxi operations, a move that is currently being met with considerable public backlash. 

Further, traditional transport unions do not have adequate women’s representation and therefore often fail to understand or protect the interests of women. Bike taxi unions are pushing state governments to ban white number plate bikes for urban mobility, suggesting that this will lead to a loss for the states as yellow number plates generate more revenue. They also argue that white number plates may lead to job losses.

States must design clear and innovative guidelines for passenger transport aggregation comprising practical and flexible revenue models for permits. Such a model would entail daily permits for a fee to be issued to riders with bikes bearing white number plates to operate passenger transport services. This will guarantee state revenue generation while helping women earn a stable income, balancing their work and family commitments without any social taboo.

A simplified regulated framework rather than sporadic bans will be a win-win situation for the states, drivers, and passengers. It will help states earn revenue, drivers earn extra income, and passengers reach their destinations swiftly.

(Arpita is a professor and economic policy researcher at ICRIER, and Preksha is counsel at a legal and policy advisory firm)