Research shows that 73% of women in urban centres in India feel unsafe to travel back home after the graveyard or overnight shift.
After the rape of a woman allegedly by a cab driver in Delhi, safety concerns have once again surfaced among working women. And by the account of a former call centre driver in Bangalore, many promises are made in the companies but very few are kept.
"Only very few companies have the GPS system, many do not. And I can tell you not a single cab at least in Bengaluru call centres have cameras," said Nagesh, who worked at a call centre in Bangalore for seven years.
"Yes, there are escorts. That is there across companies. After 12 am someone will join to drop back till the last lady is dropped off. But these are escorts who do not know routes, because many are from other states. If we change the route, they do not come to know," he added saying these rules were made in 2005 when call centre employee Pratibha Murthy was raped and murdered in Bengaluru, but very few companies follow these.
Nagesh also pointed out that it is very easy to get a driver's job at a call centre. "There is no interview. They check only driving licence and other documents. That is priority for them," he said.
"We need more policemen on roads. After 12 am there is no one," Nagesh said.
Research done by ASD Foundation shows that 73 per cent of women in urban centres in India feel unsafe to travel back home after the graveyard or overnight shift. "What I usually do is to fake a call to my mom after a board a cab if it is too late and tell her number, and route so that the driver feels someone is aware of my movements," said Micheal D'souza, a young IT employee.