Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn has said he would consider introducing women-only carriages on public transport to help reduce harassment.

In a new policy statement, the Islington North MP floated the idea of separate travelling arrangements for female passengers if the idea is welcomed by women.

“It is unacceptable that many women and girls adapt their daily lives in order to avoid being harassed on the street, public transport, and in other public places from the park to the supermarket,” he said. “This could include taking longer routes to work, having self-imposed curfews or avoiding certain means of transport.”

He suggested a 24-hour hotline for women to report harassment, tougher rules for licence holders on reporting assaults on their premises and cabinet members for women’s safety on local councils, as well as raising the possibility of women-only carriages.

Corbyn said: “Some women have raised with me that a solution to the rise in assault and harassment on public transport could be to introduce women only carriages.

“My intention would be to make public transport safer for everyone from the train platform, to the bus stop to on the mode of transport itself. However, I would consult with women and open it up to hear their views on whether women-only carriages would be welcome - and also if piloting this at times and modes of transport where harassment is reported most frequently would be of interest.”

As the idea provoked mixed reaction on social media, Corbyn’s campaign was quick to stress that it was a proposal that could be consulted on rather than a concrete policy.

Last year, Claire Perry, a Conservative junior transport minister, said the idea of women-only carriages was interesting, but it does not appear to have been taken forward by her department.

Earlier on Tuesday, Andy Burnham was criticised by supporters of Labour leadership rival Yvette Cooper for saying Labour should have a female leader “in time, when the time is right”.