Economic Survey SHE Teams Lauded For Women’s Mobility

HYDERABAD: The Economic Survey 2025‑26 has emphasised the need to overcome urban mobility barriers for women through targeted safety measures, citing Hyderabad’s SHE Teams as a model of efficient functioning. These teams enhance visible police presence in high‑traffic and pedestrian areas, particularly during off‑peak hours, deterring harassment and ensuring safer commutes.The survey recommended scaling up SHE Teams alongside Kochi’s Women Police control room vans, which provide proactive patrols. It also urged increasing the number of women drivers through recruitment and training initiatives, such as the NCR Transport Corporation’s 21‑day course for women aged 18–35, covering classroom instruction, simulators, on‑road practice, and licensing, to address driver shortages. Gender‑responsive walking and cycling infrastructure was identified as crucial, with features such as improved lighting, safe crossings, emergency buttons in vehicles, and police verification of drivers. Examples include Chennai’s inclusive street design manual and Bhubaneswar’s Janpath Street, which extend safety from doorstep to destination via affordable intermediate transport. These measures aim to strengthen women’s full travel chain, thereby boosting participation in urban economies. Sustained scaling, the survey observed, could act as a transformative tool for safer and more inclusive travel.



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