Several women in the city, caught in a bind over being exempted from the car rationing scheme, are voluntarily opting for carpooling and public transport, saying the “privilege” was at odds with the concept of “equality”.
Sakshi Mittal, an education consultant, thinks the provision that allows women to travel with children up to 12 years of age “institutionalises” traditional gender roles where a woman is expected to take care of children. “If the government wants to exempt just in case a woman is with her child, similar privilege should be given to men travelling with kids,” she said, adding that equality looks like a long fight “till we keep getting privileges”.
However, as much as they want to do their bit in fighting pollution, some find themselves in a fix as they feel inadequate public transport makes travelling unsafe for women. “If I take the Metro, I will have to deboard at Govindpuri and then take an auto to reach home since there is no station near my place in Batla House. I feel unsafe to travel in an auto alone so I prefer to drive,” said Maryam Chouhan, an executive.
Aaliyah Khan, a student, is “willingly contributing” by opting for carpooling on alternate days, while Manisha Tyagi, who is buying a car soon, has already decided to follow the measures as she does not think that “women drivers should be given any privilege”.
Referring to “rising” cases of harassment, Mallika Chadda, who travels to the city from Noida, said her parents would not allow her to switch to public transport “even if I want”. The Delhi high court had recently asked the government to clarify why women drivers and two-wheelers were exempted from the odd-even number plate scheme.