Take precautions, say Chennai women

CHENNAI: The shocking rape of a 27-year-old woman executive by the driver of an Uber cab she hired to return home in north Delhi's Inderlok area after a dinner party on Friday night has sent ripples of fear through women in the city, especially professionals who travel alone to and from work at night.
The Delhi government banned Uber and the Centre is considering a countrywide ban on the taxi service but, regardless of whatever measures the authorities take, it is up to the individual to take precautions and avoid getting into a situation where personal safety is compromised, police and security experts say.
Senior police officers say it's best for women to avoid travelling alone at night and to dial family member or a friend and inform them about the details of the cab before the journey.
They also suggest that women book taxis only from reputed cab operators and also use smartphone apps that can send out a distress message in case of an emergency.
"We have instructed all taxi companies to have their employees verified by police," additional commissioner, Chennai south, Abash Kumar said. "But when using a cab, one must always take personal precautions."
However, working women in Chennai feel the mandatory safety measures taken by the authorities are not stringent enough to prevent such crimes. They say the government should make it compulsory for cab companies to register all their drivers with the city police, who should in turn check if they have a crime record and if their licences, certificates and other documents are valid.
"The government and authorities should take precautionary measures and enforce them strictly. I think they should be proactive to prevent such crimes rather enforce a blanket ban on a company in the aftermath of a sexual assault like the Delhi government did," says Priya Mohan, a corporate social responsibility consultant who lives in Shollinganallur.
Many women in the city acknowledge that they need to take steps themselves to ensure that they are safe when they travel alone at night. Some use smartphone security apps, others say they pass on details of the cab to a relative or friend while taking a taxi.
However, content writer M Sreelatha, says it's best for women to avoid travelling alone at late night. "Cab companies may register their drivers with the police, but you really can't trust a system that has so many loopholes," she said.
Arya Prakash, a postgraduate student at IIT-Madras says it is best to book cabs directly from registered cab services rather than use mobile apps or online services that directly connect the customer to the driver, as was the case with the Delhi executive.
Kalpana Vishwanath, co-founder of Safetipin, a mobile safety app, says women will be much safer if public transport network are strengthened and streamlined. "If there is proper last mile connectivity, passengers in general will be much safer," said Vishwanath, who is based in Gurgaon.