What women want TISS roped in to find out

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has outsourced a study to Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that will determine exactly how woman-friendly railway stations across Mumbai suburban are. The college will make the presentation at Churchgate HQ this week and the final report will be submitted by the end of this month.

The MRVC has asked for the survey after the long-standing demand of women commuters that stations are not hygienic, especially the toilets on the station premises. The study has been initiated for the railways to understand how suburban Mumbai, including both Central and Western can be improved. “We have outsourced the study to TISS and we are awaiting for their findings that will help us to tailor-make our facilities for women differently. Until now it has just been about the basics — water, toilet and food, but now the report has been initiated keeping in mind that they want cleaner toilets too. In fact, working women don’t mind paying extra to use a clean air-conditioned toilet as well,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

The study is likely to have been initiated when the World Bank (WB) had asked for improved facilities for senior citizens and women as part of the agreement while lending money for various Mumbai Urban Transport Projects (MUTP) in the city. “The World Bank has asked us to improve these facilities but they have been more aggressive on reducing deaths through the trespass control project,” added the official.

The MRVC which plans and designs for the Mumbai railways will now work according to the report.