NCW calls for driver verification, SOS buttons, route alerts to ensure women's safety

New Delhi: To ensure the safety of women using app-based transport services, the country's apex women's rights watchdog NCW has recommended detailed verification of drivers' background, a mandatory SOS button in all cabs, additional safety night-time measures and real-time alerts for route deviations or suspicious stoppages.

This comes against the backdrop of several cases of women passengers being harassed or assaulted while using app-based transport services, besides concerns over driver or vehicle identity mismatch, route deviation, inappropriate conduct, stalking, unsafe drop-offs and delays in emergency response.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) said it has issued the "Guidelines for Safety of Women Passengers Using App-Based and Digital Transport Mobility Services" and seeks to strengthen preventive safeguards, institutional coordination and response mechanisms at different stages of a woman passenger's journey, covering measures before the commencement of a ride, during the journey and after its completion.


NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, requesting them to take appropriate measures for the implementation of the guidelines.

The NCW has emphasised coordination with app-based mobility aggregators, designation of a nodal officer in the Transport Department, and coordination among the Transport Department, RTOs, state police and mobility aggregators for timely response to complaints and incidents involving women passengers.

The guidelines have been framed in furtherance of the statutory mandate of the commission for safeguarding the rights and dignity of women, it said.

They also take into consideration the recommendations of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee Report, 2013, and the regulatory framework under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Under the guidelines, aggregators have been asked to ensure that the driver and vehicle assigned to a passenger match the details displayed on the application. Any unauthorised change in the driver or vehicle should be appropriately flagged in the application and treated as a safety concern.

Women passengers may be permitted to cancel a ride without a cancellation charge where the driver or vehicle does not match the details displayed on the application. Such instances may be recorded by the aggregator for appropriate review.

The NCW has also recommended that aggregators should undertake appropriate verification of the criminal antecedents, police verification and background of drivers before onboarding, with periodic re-verification also suggested as an additional safety measure.

Drivers should undergo regular training on gender sensitisation, appropriate conduct with women passengers, prevention of sexual harassment, personal boundaries and handling of emergency situations. The training should include practical components and not be limited to an online or tick-box exercise, the guidelines said.

Aggregators may also endeavour to maintain a verified pool of women drivers and, subject to availability and feasibility, provide women travelling alone an option to request a woman driver through the application.

For late-night travel, aggregators have been asked to adopt enhanced mechanisms for verification and monitoring of drivers. These may include mandatory driver photo verification at the start of a trip, measures to address driver intoxication, auto-sharing of ride details with trusted contacts where opted for by the passenger, enhanced Command and Control Centre monitoring and a safe-drop option.

On carpooling, aggregators may ensure that no unauthorised passenger is added to a pooled ride and the application may display verified co-passenger details, subject to applicable privacy and data-protection requirements.

The guidelines call for technological mechanisms to detect significant or unexplained deviations from the expected route and generate real-time alerts to the passenger and aggregator for timely intervention.

Aggregators should also maintain mechanisms to identify prolonged stoppages or unusual movement patterns, particularly in isolated or vulnerable locations, and may initiate appropriate safety checks where required.

The NCW has recommended a dedicated 24x7 Command and Control Centre capable of receiving, monitoring and responding to SOS and emergency alerts raised by passengers. The centre may respond to SOS alerts within 60 seconds and coordinate with local police and initiate appropriate emergency protocols.

In cases requiring emergency intervention, relevant information, including booking details, driver identity, vehicle registration number and passenger location, may be shared with emergency contacts and law-enforcement authorities, subject to applicable law.

The guidelines also call for every cab to have a physical SOS button within easy reach of the passenger. Activation of the button may immediately alert the Command and Control Centre and facilitate sharing of live location and trip details.

For senior women travelling alone, aggregators may provide an option to flag the passenger as requiring assistance. Drivers may be required to wait until the passenger has safely entered or exited the vehicle.

The guidelines said a driver should not end a ride at an unsafe, isolated or unauthorised location. The ride should ordinarily end at the destination selected by the passenger, while any necessary change due to a genuine reason should be communicated to the passenger and, wherever possible, the revised location confirmed through the application. "Extra care should be taken in respect of women travelling alone at night," it added.

Aggregators may establish a dedicated and time-bound grievance redressal mechanism for complaints relating to driver misconduct, harassment, assault, route deviation, unauthorised driver or vehicle substitution and failure of emergency-response mechanisms.

The mechanism may provide for acknowledgement within two hours, resolution within 72 hours, escalation to police for cognisable offences and preservation of relevant electronic evidence for at least 180 days, subject to applicable law.

Complaints requiring police intervention may be promptly escalated to the appropriate law-enforcement authority, while the complainant should be informed of the available process and remedies.

The NCW has also recommended preservation of relevant electronic evidence following safety-related complaints, including booking records, driver and vehicle details, journey and location data and other relevant records, in accordance with applicable law and data-protection requirements.

Aggregators may also consider provision of functional dash cameras in vehicles, particularly for recording the road-facing journey environment.

The guidelines call for periodic review of women passenger safety measures and maintenance of records concerning safety incidents, complaints, emergency alerts, driver-related violations and action taken thereon.

"Aggregators should also periodically review and update their safety protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on safety incidents, complaints, technological developments and directions or recommendations of competent authorities, including the NCW," it said.

Women must be able to travel without fear, whether they are using public transport or app-based mobility services, the rights body said.

"As technology continues to reshape the way people travel, safety must remain at the centre of this transformation. A coordinated effort by State authorities, police, transport authorities and mobility aggregators is essential to ensure that every woman can travel with confidence, security and dignity," the NCW chief said.