To enhance the safety and convenience of women passengers, regional transport offices (RTOs) and autorickshaw unions in Mumbai have launched the initiative to introduce separate queues for women at shared auto stands in the suburbs.

On 14 September, the Mumbai Autorickshaw and Taximen Union launched a campaign named for her, which involves the implementation of dedicated queues for shared autos exclusively for women. Initially, these women only shared auto stands will be set up outside Malad and Goregaon railway stations.

The initiative was prompted by complaints by women passengers about various issues, including encounters with unruly co-passengers, incidents of inappropriate touching during journeys and inconvenience caused by drivers carrying more than three passengers, among other concerns. Consortium members are also discussing the possibility of implementing a single queuing system for specific routes.

Shashank Rao, president of Mumbai Autorickshaw Taximen Union, said, We have initiated discussions with shared autorickshaw drivers of Malad and Goregaon. We are working towards covering at least 8-10 routes in the coming days. In the coming months, we plan to set up separate queues for women at shared auto stands on 50-60 routes in different parts of the suburbs Shashank Rao presented a letter to the Transport Department outlining these plans.

Unions have sought cooperation from RTOs to prevent conflicts between auto drivers and passengers.

RTO sources acknowledged potential challenges related to space constraints and the number of female passengers, especially during off-peak hours of the day. Shared auto rickshaw unions have to manage the flow of passengers and ensure that overcrowding does not lead to disputes. We will find the best ways to implement this, said an RTO official.