49% of two-wheeler users feel unsafe while travelling on city roads at night: GCC survey

The Hindu

09-05-2025

A study by the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) Gender and Policy Lab has revealed that 49.4% of the respondents — two-wheeler users who use Google Maps in the city — rated their safety at night at three or below on a five-point scale.
Further, 35.82% of women respondents, as against 13.17% of men, said they were in fear of being harassed on the city's roads, the study said.
The study was presented at a webinar conducted by the GCC's Gender and Policy Lab on the topic, 'The Gender Compass: How are Google Maps navigating inclusivity?' on Thursday.
It surveyed 423 Google Maps users and conducted 12 interviews between December 2024 and January 2025. Of the respondents, 65.2% were men, 34.3% were women, and 94.8% were aged between 18 and 40. Most were private-sector employees or students. Two-thirds used the app frequently.
Damaged roads were the biggest safety concern for male riders as 65.84% reported this issue.
Greater Chennai Corporation study says... Lighting issues
According to the study, a transwoman participant highlighted specific locations in Chennai where lighting deficiencies contribute to safety concerns:
'In places like Nesapakkam Road, Guindy Road, Chetpet, after 7 p.m., the road will seem calm but they are unsafe. I found even railway stations are not very well lit.'
Another female participant further illustrated the impact of lighting and crowd presence, stating, 'Behind Valluvar Kottam, near Child Trust Hospital, the roads are not well lit, and there will be a group of men talking, making me feel unsafe.' Openness
A male participant described the unpredictability of Google Maps in routing users through unsafe areas: 'I have felt that routes shown are unsafe at times but this is not very frequent. It does show routes on narrow roads, mud roads, near dams, shores where it is not quite possible to drive a two-wheeler.'
A transwoman participant similarly noted the variation in safety levels based on location, stating, 'Regarding my experience in terms of safety, I think safety and routes are different. Safety depends on the place. For instance, near park areas, there is no safety.' People
A male respondent recalled an unsettling experience when Google Maps diverted him to an isolated route on the way to Kalahasti Temple: 'Google Maps didn't show the highway route and instead cut me from going using the highway. I was diverted into a small road. It was dark and I felt like I was going through a forest. I wondered how I would even drive through this. It is unsafe to go with your family at night through such routes.'
The presence or absence of crowds played a crucial role in safety perceptions. 61.19 percent of female respondents and 46.09 percent of male respondents identified isolated roads as a safety concern. Among women, this was the most frequently cited issue. Deserted streets were often linked with heightened vulnerability, particularly for female users.
Another male respondent pointed to infrastructure-related concerns, especially while cycling: 'During the day, if I am in an isolated road, it's scary for me because there are dogs. I travel a lot on cycle and use Maps to find the shortest roads possible. In narrow lanes, dogs will be there so it is scary.' Infra
A male respondent explained, 'At night, the issue is that it's dark. When I'm cycling, I use walking mode, which takes me through dark alleys and unpaved roads. In two-wheeler mode, I face similar problems sometimes, though I can't recall the exact places. I usually just switch to car mode.'
Damaged roads were the biggest safety concern for male riders as 65.84% reported this as the major concern.
Among the female respondents, 47.59% said they avoided travelling through unknown roads at night to stay safe, 32% travelled with someone, and 22% chose a different mode of transport. Men mostly changed their route depending on the situation.
Mythili, a pink taxi driver with the Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam, said that shortcuts suggested by Google Maps often led to dug-up or unsafe interior roads.
Recalling a recent night ride to Kolathur Ponniamman Medu, she told The Hindu, 'When Maps led me to a dug-up road at 8.30 p.m., the customer chose to cut the ride instead of taking a 3-km-long alternative route.'
Mohana, an autorickshaw driver, said that most times if streets are blocked for road cuts, or Chennai Metrorail work, Google Maps is not aware of these and sends drivers into dark interiors. Both said that not all women were bold enough to brave through these areas, where usually many drunkards created problems.
To a question on challenges faced by women while travelling for leisure, Kalpana Viswanath, co-founder and CEO of Safetipin, a social enterprise that uses digital tools to collect data on women's safety in cities, said there was increasing evidence that lack of safe mobility had an impact on women's life. 'With good and safe mobility, women have more opportunities to participate fully in economic, social, public and political aspects,' she said.
The study recommended that Google Maps introduce night-mode routing with safer alternatives, context-aware alerts on road and lighting conditions, and the integration of route-based safety indicators.
It also proposed allowing users to report unsafe routes based on parameters such as lighting, openness, walk path, and overall feeling, and suggested adding an emergency SOS feature for users in distress.