Transport workshop stresses on gender and social equality

- A survey revealed that the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) Janmarg in Ahmedabad displaced around 2,000 vendors.

- Post-2000, around 500,000 people were evicted in Delhi and rehabilitated at a distance of 33-35 km

- A study in Delhi shows that after relocation of a slum for metro, the average household income has reduced from Rs3,145 to Rs2,514

These are some of the statistics presented during the second day of the conference on 'Sub Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport Training Workshop-Cum-Policy Dialogue in South Asia'.

The statistics presented reveal the grim impact of urban transport on the lives of urban poor, including women, as arguments were made that not enough is being done to keep the affected section of people in mind while designing transport.

The statistics were presented by Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University's Prof Darshini Mahadevia and Prof Rutul Joshi on the theme of  'Sustainable Transport and Social Equity'.

The need to keep social equity and gender in mind while designing urban transport was also discussed. Poor working women have to be kept in mind as they have fewer transport choices.

"Cycling is a taboo. Shared autos are not always preferred. Most women walk to work in Indian cities. Most poor women manage household, children and work.  Even in poor households, rest of the family does not have an access to private modes," said Prof Mahadevia.  She added that long walking hours from job centres cut into their leisure and creates a situation of time poverty.

Inadequate linkages with the city's transport system make the poor households vulnerable in the informal or even formal job market.

Not only this, the cost of travel, especially for the poor has increased considerably and cheaper non motorised modes like cycling and walking has become risky as vehicular population has grown by leaps and bounds. 

The presentation highlighted a study on urban travel characteristics of the poor in Ahmedabad and noted that 78% of the trips in the slum pockets studied were less than 5 km across modes of transport as the urban poor stay closer to their work and amenities.