Women's Mobility and Trip Chaining in Urban India: Implications for Public Transport Policies in India

Abstract

Humans need mobility, which defines their ability to move from one place to another to survive and perform their day-to-day tasks. Without mobility, their access to livelihood, and other things that one derives from their livelihood gets restricted. Mobility manifests based on the person’s gender, class, culture, caste and region where they belong. Urban mobility is a fundamental aspect of daily life, and because it is shaped by different aspects that have been mentioned above, the expansion and improvement of urban transport infrastructure have not always translated into equitable access for all. Similarly, studies like Mobility of Care have shown that women in particular face unique challenges: their travel patterns differ from men due to a greater share of care and domestic work, and rely on a wider variety of transport modes. These differences can lead to increased time poverty and double disadvantage, especially for women living far from employment hubs or in areas underserved by public transport. This study explores women’s mobility in urban India, in the context of Mumbai city, by examining one commuting pattern called trip-chaining, a behaviour mostly depicted by caregivers who, in India’s case, are mostly women. Using both methods - quantitative in the form of surveys and qualitative in the form of interviews - this research investigates the impact of care responsibilities on women’s commuting behaviour. Then, building on the implications from the findings, the research evaluates whether the public transport infrastructure meets these unique needs of women or not. Through an analysis of policy documents on urban transport and infrastructure, this research will suggest improvements through which urban transport and infrastructure can be made more robust by integrating aspects of of mobility of care and gender mainstreaming. Key words: Urban mobility, urban transport infrastructure, gender, care-giving, Mobility of Care, trip-chaining.