This publication presents findings from a multi-city study on the daily realities of women in public bus transport in India, both as commuters and as part of the workforce. Developed by ITDP India and GIZ under the Indo-German cooperation project Sustainable Urban Mobility – Air Quality, Climate Action, Accessibility (SUM-ACA), the report brings together large-scale data and lived experiences across 46 cities.
The study combines analysis of female workforce participation among drivers and conductors, insights from focus group discussions with women transport workers in four cities, and findings from the Transport4All Challenge, which gathered over 200,000 responses, including 78,000 from women commuters.
Results highlight persistent gender gaps in employment, as well as key challenges faced by women users, particularly related to safety, affordability, and accessibility. The publication provides evidence-based insights to support more inclusive public transport systems and inform gender-sensitive policy and planning.