Pink revolution in urban transport: Can fare-free rides improve women’s empowerment? A case study of Delhi urban transport policy intervention

Urban transport costs and safety concerns are frequent mobility barriers for women in the global south. These concerns discourage women’s social and economic participation in India. To address this, Delhi introduced the Pink Pass policy in 2019, offering fare-free and safer bus transport exclusively for women. Using the descriptive and normative approach, this research studies the influence of the Pink Pass policy on women's empowerment. The administrative and survey data analysis reveals a positive effect of the pink pass policy. The fare-free public transport increased women’s monthly household savings between 2.79€ to 4.29€. The improved bus safety measures increased women's urban transport mobility by over 40% in the intervention period. My findings could significantly contribute to policy-making and urban development. To the best of my knowledge, this article represents the first scholarly contribution to explaining the pink pass policy to the full extent. JEL classification: J08, J16, J18, J28, O18, R42, R48