Please! Mind the (gender) Gap: A Comparative Analysis of Fare-Free Public Transport Policies for Women in Seven Indian States

This study provides the first comparative analysis of fare-free public transport (FFPT) policies for women across seven Indian states. The research compares the urban transport policy reforms of Delhi, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana. All seven reforms share a common objective: providing fare-free travel and enhanced safety to women in state public buses. These policies aim to address key barriers to women’s urban mobility, particularly high transport costs and safety concerns, which often limit their social and economic participation. Using secondary administrative data and published empirical evidence, the research examines the policies to assess the effects on women in India. The preliminary findings indicate a consistent pattern of increased ridership, improved affordability, and measurable household savings, with positive implications for women’s employment access and social inclusion across all seven states. However, the magnitude of these impacts varies across states due to differences in infrastructure capacity, fiscal sustainability, and policy design. The analysis identifies common benefits and recurring challenges, including overcrowding, fiscal pressure, and the exclusion of certain vulnerable groups. The study highlights fare-free public transport as a promising gender-responsive policy tool and outlines conditions under which such schemes are most likely to advance women’s empowerment.