Covering the last mile is still daunting for working women

FOR WOMEN WORKING IN THE CITY, GOING BACK HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY IS STILL A CHALLENGE. LAST-MILE CONNECTIVITY IS ONLY A CONCEPT ON PAPER

NEW DELHI: For 34-year-old Mamta, evenings bring panic. Two hours before her duty gets over, she starts planning her walk to the Metro station. She asks around if any colleagues are going the same way. If she finds no one, she simply gears up for a solo 10-minute walk. And on most days, she sneaks out at least 30 minutes before time.

“I remove my gold rings before stepping out. I keep a fork in the outside pocket of my purse and my phone in my hand. But still the other day, a drug addict started chasing me. I ran like the wind and stopped only once inside the Metro station,” said Mamta, who works as cleaning staff at a building in Connaught Place.

For women working in the city, going back home at the end of the day is still a challenge. Last-mile connectivity is only a concept on paper.

Be it a female security guard stepping out of a mall after duty or a beauty professional leaving her salon after sunset, they usually have to brave dark stretches, prying eyes and unreliable public transport every day.

While most women working in multinational companies, media houses and call centres get office transport and security by rule if leaving after dark, a large section of women employed in other jobs lack any such support.

“My duty is from 8 am to 8 pm. Since I can’t change my residence every time I get a new posting, I have to travel a long distance to get back home. My husband comes to fetch me these days,” said Sarita Yadav, a guard at a residential society in Indirapuram, who lives near Mayur Vihar. At other times, she has to use a shared autorickshaw to get to the Metro station six kilometers away.

She laughed when asked if her company provides any transport. “They pay me `6,000 per month. Providing us cabs every night will cost much more,” she said.

Women in many professions are forced to use the Metro or buses that drop people at only designated spots. Traversing that road towards home is quite daunting without enough Metro feeder buses or security-checked autos and taxis.

“Pre-paid auto stands at high-use metro stations would help reduce discomfort associated with travel during the last mile. It is recommended to have a person employed and posted at the exit who allots slips and notes the numbers of cycle rickshaws and autos that women take pre 8am and post 8 pm when they exit from the metro,” recommended a group of organization in a security audit conducted on December 16 last year.