Přehled o publikaci

In October 2019, Delhi (India) introduced the world's first groundbreaking gender-specific public transport initiative. The state implemented a pink pass policy granting fare-free public bus travel exclusively to women. The reform aimed to enhance women's socio-economic engagement and ensure safer bus commutes. I estimate women’s pre- and post-reform mobility patterns by utilizing data from Delhi economic survey reports, transport company records, and 2,142 observations of [own data] Delhi women survey (2023). This article conducts a descriptive evaluation of the policy's efficacy, scrutinizing its implementation, rationale, inherent challenges, and the state's evaluation methods. My findings reveal a positive effect of the reform on women’s socio-economic welfare. Furthermore, this article identifies policy gaps and recommends reform refinement. To my knowledge, it is the first literature to discuss the impact of fare-free public transport on women’s social inclusion, patriarchal independence, economic welfare, and safer transport. My research provides insight and extends the existing studies to ratify the significance of gender-specific affordable public transport.