Stops, Stares, and Safety: Interview-Based Study on Women’s Public Transport Use in the Himalayan Region

Women’s safety in public transportation systems is a critical determinant of urban mobility, equity, and sustainable development. However, this remains a persistent global challenge that limits women’s freedom of movement. This study investigates the key determinants of women’s safety perceptions and experiences in public transport across urban, rural, and hilly regions of Uttarakhand, India. Using a qualitative research framework grounded in feminist epistemology and interpretive phenomenological analysis, this study employed a multi-theoretical framework that integrated the Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory of Interpersonal Behavior, Behavioral Decision Theory, Cognitive Dissonance Theory, Rational Choice Theory, and the Belief-Action-Outcome model. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 women participants aged 18–65 years, representing diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and geographical locations within Uttarakhand. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework, which revealed complex interactions between individual perceptions, social influences, and infrastructural constraints shaping women’s mobility patterns. Key findings indicate that safety concerns are embedded within family-imposed restrictions, societal stigma, inadequate infrastructure, and fear of harassment, with age-specific patterns and regional disparities particularly pronounced in hilly areas. Participants demonstrated sophisticated adaptive strategies, including real time route changes, technology-driven safety tools, and crowd-avoidance techniques to mitigate risks. This study underscores the urgent need for region-responsive, multilevel interventions that combine technological innovation, social behavior change, and infrastructure reforms. Future research should adopt broader, more diversified samples across different geographic contexts and explore the intersectionality of gender with other identities to design more inclusive safety frameworks supporting evidence-based policy reforms for safer, more equitable public transportation systems.