Free mobility services add Shakti to women’s labor force participation

 

The focus of everyone’s attention when the Karnataka Government launched the Shakti Scheme of free bus travel, was that it was dole-out or a freebie. From that perspective it was largely deduced by the critics of the scheme that increased mobility among women would not do much to improve the labor force participation of women in the state. A premature deduction one may say, since as per a recent study conducted by the Fiscal Policy Institute, the Shakti Scheme has not just contributed to the state’s GST collection but has also increased female participation in the labor force in the state. A base line study of this scheme has shown that there are positive outcomes of the scheme which has eased access to job opportunities especially for self-employed and informal women workers while also aiding women to indulge in some leisure travel to visit family and other distant places.

Fare Free travel in other cities and states

Launched in June last year by the state government, the scheme provides women with fare-free rides, in state-run, non-premium buses with the intention to improve access to education and employment opportunities for women. Karnataka was the latest state to implement the free bus pass for women, other Indian states that have initiated similar programs include Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Telangana. A key aspect to consider is that free travel provides women with a choice that they did not have prior to the free bus pass because of unaffordability of travel services. Tamil Nadu’s State planning commission studied the impact of its free bus pass among women that showed that women were saving Rs 888 per month, coupled with greater accessibility to other services like healthcare, education and employment. Of course, the data shows correlation not causation, however this correlation is equally pertinent and indicative of the impact of free transport services for women.

Why fare free travel for women is needed

Research shows that typically most urban transport investment tends to be gender blind, unable to comprehend the correlations between gender and transport inequities. Often decisions around transport are focused solely on cost-benefit and the efficiency therein, ignoring key considerations like equitable access. World Bank’s 2022 report titled ‘Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India’ revealed that 84% of all the trips made by women were using public transport and going by that data it shows the role public transport plays in the lives of women. Furthermore, women lack access to affordable and extensive transport solutions and often end up walking or rely on other travel options like shared autos for their daily commute, which significantly impacts their earnings.

It is common knowledge that there are societal norms at play when it comes to women wanting to access education or engage in labor opportunities. Inadequate public transportation continues to remain a significant barrier owing to concerns around accessibility, reliability and most importantly around safety. Public spaces and women’s safety add another dimension around the mobility of women which eventually also impacts their economic mobility as well. In a 2020 research survey 52% of women from 140 cities across India revealed declining education or employment opportunities owing to safety concerns around their daily commute to study or work. Often Indian women let go of job opportunities that disallow them from combining work along with their care-giving duties at home. A bulk of Indian women need permission and money from relatives and family members to travel, thanks to our pervasive patriarchal culture, the restriction to mobility and movement and social constraints are real. Typically, women prefer not to opt for work opportunities that require them to travel long distances and may cost more, since the focus is on safety and affordability. Across the cities and towns of India, restrictions are in place for physical mobility of women especially when it comes to travel for work. An incentive like the free bus pass services helps women become independent and mobile.

Potential of the Impact of free mobility services among women

Studies show that the travel patterns of women are distinguished by constant inequalities and mobility difficulties also point to a kind of social exclusion. Couple this with the prohibitive costs around large distances to work will impact women wanting to enter the labor market.  The corresponding impact of free movement of women and their visibility in public spaces will result in enhancing the potential of more safe spaces for women. Women’s labor force participation rate as per the latest periodic labor survey report of 2022-2023 stands at 37%, imagine the difference the incentivization of free travel can bring in for women in enhancing their participation in the workforce. Fare-Free Public Transport (FFPT) programmes for women can be the impetus needed to improve employment outcomes among women. With better mobility and transport solutions there are greater chances of women opting to be employed and in fact can be indicative of the potential such solutions may hold in improving female labour force participation in other states and cities of India.