BENGALURU: M Siddaramaiah has announced that women who are natives of Karnataka can avail of free bus rides in non-AC buses of BMTC and any state transport corporation buses, anywhere in the state.
This has given rise to multiple questions on implementation. Shaheen Shasa of Bengaluru Bus Prayanikara Vedike, a bus commuters’ rights forum, said that free travel in government buses should not be considered a ‘freebie’ but an investment in women who get the freedom to travel independently. She urged that bus travel be made free for all women across the state, without discrimination.
“BMTC has a daily ridership of around 35 lakh. A rough estimate is that around 40 per cent of the daily passengers are women, and free travel for women in BMTC buses might cost the government approximately Rs 1,000 crore every year,” she said.
A KSRTC official said they don’t have data on the number of female passengers. “Whether free travel is for all women or are there any conditions for eligibility? Will free travel be restricted to a few kilometres or can women travel freely across the state? The state government has not yet given any clarity on eligibility for free bus travel yet,” the official said.
Another official said that going by face value, execution will be a challenge, not just financially but also in implementation. Reserved seats for women will have to be strictly maintained.