he National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked all states and Union Territories to strengthen safety measures for women using app-based cabs, auto-rickshaws, bike taxis and other digital transport services. The guidelines, issued on October 5, 2026, seek safeguards before, during and after a journey, following concerns over driver and vehicle identity mismatches, route deviations, harassment, stalking, unsafe drop-offs and delays in emergency response.
The NCW has recommended stronger driver verification, criminal background checks, gender-sensitisation training, real-time route alerts, mandatory SOS facilities, 24×7 emergency support and faster grievance redressal. NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the chief secretaries of all states and UTs, calling for coordinated implementation involving transport departments, police, RTOs and mobility aggregators.
Safety Across The Entire Journey
The NCW’s recommendations take a journey-based approach, meaning safety should not begin only when a passenger faces an emergency. Aggregators have been asked to ensure that the driver and vehicle assigned to a passenger match the details displayed on the app. If there is a mismatch, women should be able to cancel the booking without paying a cancellation fee, while the incident should be recorded for review.
The commission has also called for police verification and checks of drivers’ criminal backgrounds before onboarding, with periodic re-verification where appropriate. Drivers should undergo regular practical training on gender sensitisation, appropriate conduct, prevention of sexual harassment, personal boundaries and emergency response. The guidelines also encourage aggregators to maintain a verified pool of women drivers and, where feasible, allow women travelling alone to request one.
SOS, Route Alerts And Safer Night Rides
During journeys, the NCW has recommended technological safeguards that can enable quicker intervention. Apps should provide an easily accessible SOS facility connected to a 24×7 command-and-control centre capable of receiving and responding to emergency alerts. The guidelines say such centres may respond to SOS alerts within 60 seconds and coordinate with local police when necessary. Aggregators have also been asked to develop systems that detect significant or unexplained route deviations and prolonged or suspicious stoppages, particularly in isolated locations, with real-time alerts to passengers and the company.
For late-night rides, enhanced driver monitoring, photo verification at the start of a trip, measures to address driver intoxication, sharing journey details with trusted contacts and safe-drop options have been recommended. The NCW has further stressed that drivers should not end journeys at unsafe or isolated locations and that complaints requiring police action should be escalated without delay.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
App-based transport has expanded women’s freedom to travel for work, education, healthcare and everyday needs, but convenience cannot come at the cost of safety or dignity. The NCW’s recommendations are important because they place responsibility not only on women passengers but also on technology companies, drivers, police and government authorities. However, guidelines alone cannot create safer journeys unless they are consistently implemented, monitored and backed by swift action when violations occur.
Building trust will require transparent complaint systems, accountable platforms and cooperation between authorities and mobility companies. What additional measures do you think app-based transport companies and governments should adopt to make women feel safer while travelling?
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