Women-Friendly Public Transportation: Global Initiatives and Challenges

Women-Only Taxi Services: Benefits and Safety Concerns

Many cities throughout the world are making efforts to make taxi services more women-friendly. Both men and women utilize taxi services in large cities, especially in areas they are unfamiliar with. Utilizing a taxi service can feel risky because the individual may not know the area the driver is taking them through or what they might encounter along the way. However, for those unfamiliar with an area or unwilling to navigate heavy traffic, taking a taxi generally seems like the safest option. In the United States, taxi services are most readily utilized in large cities such as Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco.

Some cities have gone so far as to offer taxi services exclusively for women. For example, in Pueblo, Mexico, the city announced the availability of women-only taxi services in November 2009. This transportation service was designed to provide a friendly and safe option for women in the area. The service operates a fleet of 35 pink Chevrolet cars driven exclusively by women. Each cab is equipped with beauty kits, GPS, and emergency panic buttons. Running 24 hours a day, the service helps women passengers avoid uncomfortable and unnecessary harassment sometimes perpetrated by male drivers.

This concept has been implemented in various other countries, including the United Kingdom, Moscow, Dubai, and Tehran. Moscow launched its pink taxi service in 2006, and Dubai began offering women-only taxi service in January 2007. Women-only taxis are now available in Iran as well. The primary reason all of these cities offer women-friendly taxi services is safety. These services not only address safety concerns but also create flexible employment opportunities for local women.

Bus Transportation and Enhanced Passenger Safety

However, a significant issue involves anti-discrimination laws. A more troubling question arises: does a highly visible pink taxi with only a woman driver and woman passenger serve as a target for criminals? While such a service may initially seem like a good idea, one must ask whether it is truly safer for both women drivers and passengers if every observer knows the vehicle contains only two potentially vulnerable women. It stands to reason that a criminal seeking to victimize a woman might specifically target these distinctive vehicles.

Bus transportation is the next major form of public transportation offered worldwide. In the United States, only larger cities have substantial bus services. Smaller cities and towns may offer limited bus service, but metropolitan areas provide the most comprehensive and well-used options. In smaller cities, buses may run only during certain hours. Individuals trying to reach work on time may need to leave two to three hours early to catch the only available bus, and may arrive home significantly later than expected due to multiple stops or connection transfers.

Bus Stops, Parking, and Supporting Infrastructure

Seoul is establishing additional bus stops to provide safer commutes for women passengers traveling late at night. Buses make extra stops so that passengers—specifically women—do not have to walk far when exiting or entering. In isolated residential areas, passengers might otherwise have to walk long distances to reach their final destination. These additional stops are planned in advance and require passengers to notify the driver, but they allow women to exit closer to their homes and walk shorter distances. Signs at bus stops encourage women to use these safer stops. Additionally, Seoul buses designate specific seats for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Bus stops themselves are a critical component of safer public transportation. Many women fear not only riding the bus but also waiting alone in a bus shelter before the bus arrives. Research studies on public transportation safety in San Francisco have found that most women feel more unsafe waiting at a bus stop than riding the bus itself. Women who knew a camera was present did not report feeling more comforted. Although making bus stops safer is extremely important, transportation planners are still developing solutions. One suggestion is that planners involve women's voices in the design process.

The city of Iksan in Jeollabuk-do has designated pink parking spots specifically for women drivers in public parking lots. The city has 25 such spots available in public lots, including at city hall and the library. By the end of 2009, the city planned to install an additional 670 pink parking spots across 21 parking lots throughout the metropolitan area. The spots feature pink lines with a pink flower in the center. While generous in intent, the design reveals problematic assumptions: the spots are intentionally wider than standard spaces to help "unskilled" women drivers with easier parking. Additionally, the city planned to install 34 street lights and 194 guard lamps in higher-crime areas to create safer streets.

Train Services and Multi-Modal Women-Friendly Programs

In February 2008, London announced women-friendly train carriages with guards on duty after 9:00 p.m. across the underground network. Proposals were also made to deploy teams of police guards on late-night buses, because the bus system has a high record of violence and antisocial behavior. The main goal of these measures is to create a safer public transportation environment for women passengers.

Mexico City now offers women-only bus services, building on existing women-only train services. The newer bus program is called the Athena Program. Each participating bus displays a pink sign on the front, distinguishing it from other buses. Approximately 22 women-only buses serve several busy routes daily in Mexico City. Women requested this service before 2008 because of sexual harassment, particularly groping and leering. Women-only buses and subway systems have also appeared in Egypt, India, Brazil, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan.

Conclusion: Balancing Safety, Equality, and Family Needs

The main goal of these programs in major cities is to provide safer transportation for women, children, and the elderly, whom officials recognize as the majority of their passengers. Unfortunately, many unsafe areas exist, and many women passengers do not feel secure using public transportation. City officials are taking measures to improve safety by fixing sidewalks and roads, redesigning city blocks and houses, adding lighting to dark areas, and providing safer public transit. Some cities have not yet adopted such measures, and America lags behind other countries. An additional challenge is that smaller areas lack robust public transportation services and must first prioritize basic service availability.

Some cities in Mexico and other countries may be going too far with gender-segregated transit. At some point, men may question why women passengers became the city's priority and raise concerns about their own safety. While such planning demonstrates strides women have made in many cultures, it raises troubling questions about why such measures are necessary to keep women safe. It suggests that women remain viewed as inferior to men, and special treatment may anger some men, particularly those with criminal intent.

Women-friendly public transportation helps women commuting within their cities. However, the downside is that it is not family-oriented. Imagine a husband, wife, and child traveling through an area with such a system. The woman and children might be allowed, but what about the male family member? The family would have to split up, travel separately, or choose a different, potentially less safe method. In this sense, women-friendly transportation can be unhelpful and unsuccessful for women and their families. Additionally, not all men use public transportation to victimize women. What of women who victimize other women, using these systems to commit crimes against other women? These are strong points that city officials will likely address in the future.

In countries like America that do not offer extensive women-friendly public transportation, what would introducing such services accomplish? Most Americans would likely resist the idea, because the culture values equality. While some women might use pink parking spots, pink buses, and pink cabs, others would consider them too dangerous. In an economy where most people drive from point A to point B, such services are unlikely to be offered soon. If introduced, both women's rights and men's rights activists would likely object.

For a country considering women-friendly service, officials should learn from other countries' experiences. For example, it would be beneficial if husbands and fathers could travel together, making "women-friendly" perhaps too narrow a label. For countries offering women-friendly transportation, adding family-friendly options would be advantageous. Men should not be excluded simply because women face higher rates of victimization. When addressing women's needs, it is essential to consult women directly. Canada has the right approach by having local women identify which areas make them feel unsafe. Public transportation officials must ask women where and when they feel unsafe and address these issues systematically—better lighting, repaired streets and sidewalks, and on-site cameras. Including men and children is always helpful for women considering public transit, so countries implementing such services must find ways to include men if they want full acceptance from women.