At the beginning of this section itself, it was clear that about 70 per cent of users were male, and only 30 per cent were female. The gender gap is evident. There is enough evidence in literature on the gender gap in urban mobility and how it impacts women's access to services in cities. The next section discusses the gender gap in urban mobility and how smart mobility may be widen­ing, rather than closing, the gender gap. 2.3 Gendered mobility around the world and in India Singh(2019-2021) reports that globally, mobility studies, have shown that men and women have different travel patterns. The latter make more trips related to work as well as for household chores. These trips are often during off-peak hours, for shorter distances, and for multiple purposes using different modes of travel such as public transport or walking(Crane, 2007; Gustafone, 2006; Hjorthol, 2008; Peters, 2013; Priya Uteng, 2011a, 2011b; Queirós et al, 2016). This pattern exists in developing and developed nations alike. Due to the dissimilarity in their roles in the job market and at home, women and men have different demands for mobility. Peters(2013) points out that women have complex travel needs because they are managers of households, engage with communities, take care of children and the elderly, and often also work to earn. She further says this is not a case of'different but equal', but an'unequal burden' on women, especially considering the roles they are expected to play in patriarchal societ­ies. These patterns hold true for even developed coun­tries, perhaps to a lesser extent. For example, a study in Sweden(Gustafson, 2006) showed that the presence of young children reduced travel activities of women, but there was no such effect on men. Another comprehen­sive survey examining commuting trends in the entire United States of America(USA) from 1985 to 2005 also concluded that gender and gender-based societal roles are the reasons why there are gendered differences in travel, housing and labour market dynamics, and that women still exhibit a greater likelihood for trip chaining (combine multiple trips for different purposes), work closer to home or stay home altogether(Crane, 2007; Peters, 2013). Talking specifically about developing countries, including India, Priya Uteng(2011a) concludes that women carry out many non-work trips related to the running of households, and caring for children and the elderly. So, women resort to trip chaining and depend on low-cost modes of mobility such as public transport or walking. Due to their need to combine multiple trips for different purposes in different locations, women value flexibility over time-efficiency. Another study by GTZ (2007) in developing countries, found that since income-generating trips are valued more than domestic trips, vehicle use is also higher for those trips. Vehicles could include individual cars, motorcycles and bicycles as well as paid transit and usually, it is men who benefit first. With an improvement in social status or incomes, men are first to motorise; and women only benefit from a trickle-down effect where they inherit the older mode for their own use. The same study reports that women are more concerned about safety and personal security aspects of the modes of transport and this plays a critical role in decision-making and selection of that mode. They may seek less efficient or more costly alternatives when there is a perceived threat. Women also choose to walk rather than pay for transport and this reduces their mobility and increases travel time. Needless to say, these choices or lack thereof, have ramifications on access to opportunities and services. As research in Delhi sug­gested, girls are choosing relatively less interesting colleges because they have safer routes(Bhattacharya and Kopf, 2017). This shows how safety or lack of it affects the lives of women and their growth. Most women have to travel for different purposes, such as, to a school or doctor and for shopping and work. Increased distances between these places make trip chaining extremely difficult and travel activity takes much longer. The sad state of public transport, or walking and cycling conditions, in developing countries also makes it difficult for most women to carry out their daily activities. Another factor that impacts women's mobility is the historical preferential treatment given to the movement of cars above people. After the industrial revolution, there was a trend of increased motorised movement and car ownership. However, cars were predominantly driven by men and hence a gender gap in urban mobility was created. If movement of women is not given enough attention, they stand to lose out on educational, employment, medical and even recreational opportunities that may be available in cities. Addressing equity in urban mobility is pertinent as improved access to employment, education 6 Smart mobility in India from an equity perspective