This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the safety gap in Indian navigation services, with particular emphasis on women and vulnerable commuters. The study synthesizes current literature on app features, user education strategies, and emergency response mechanisms while introducing SurakshaRoute—an innovative web-based safety navigation platform incorporating a proprietary Risk Routing (RR) Algorithm. Through systematic review of 50 studies focusing on Indian urban contexts and technological interventions, this paper identifies critical gaps in existing navigation services and proposes a holistic framework combining safety-optimized routing, real-time emergency response, crowd-sourced incident reporting, and user empowerment through education. The SurakshaRoute application demonstrates how integrating artificial intelligence, incident-driven risk scoring, and community engagement can address the multidimensional safety challenges faced by women and vulnerable commuters in Indian cities. Key findings reveal that while technological sophistication exists in current applications, critical gaps in user-centered design, integration with law enforcement, and comprehensive user education hinder comprehensive safety improvements. This research contributes both theoretical insights and a practical implementation blueprint for future navigation safety systems in urban India.
A 2025 study studied this question.