Women’s safety in Public Transportation: A case study of Jaipur city, India

Abstract

Women's safety in public transportation is a major point of concern for transport planners worldwide, including India. Perceptions regarding safety can significantly influence commuters' mode choice decisions. This study aims to quantify the psychological factors that can impact women's perception of safety while traveling on public transportation in Jaipur, India. To conduct this study, we collected data from female commuters through a questionnaire, which included questions related to the respondents' socio-economic characteristics, safety perceptions while using buses, bus preferences among different types of buses, satisfaction with various attributes of public bus services, and Likert-scale responses regarding women's safety when using public buses. We obtained a total of 439 valid responses, which were used for analysis. The factor analysis technique was employed to analyze the responses, revealing that Infrastructure and operations of public buses, Safety concerns related to boarding/alighting, Information accessibility, and Positive sentiments towards bus stops are the major factors affecting safety. The results of this study will assist policymakers and transport planners in creating safe infrastructures for women to ensure their safety during public transportation commutes. Furthermore, it will contribute to an increased mode choice share of women in public transportation.