KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Monday rolled out free journeys for women in state-run buses on all routes, bringing joy to them.
Women going to work in the peak morning hours sought that the frequency of government buses be increased.
In keeping with the promise made by the BJP in its assembly election manifesto, the Suvendu Adhikari government started free journeys for women in state-run buses, said a party functionary.
"I am happy, but the frequency of state buses needs to be increased," said Mala Biswas as she boarded a bus from Ballygunge station to her workplace at Park Street in central Kolkata.
She said that the number of state-run buses had decreased sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Several government-run bus routes have vanished over the last few years, adding woes to commuters," said Sumana Singh, travelling by a state-run air-conditioned bus to Salt Lake Sector V, an IT hub, from Gariahat in south Kolkata.
Manisha Barman, travelling to Cooch Behar from Siliguri on a bus of the North Bengal State Transport Company with her two daughters, said the nearly 170 km journey to their native village will become easier owing to the scheme.
The government made rides free for women from June 1 in all buses of West Bengal Transport Corporation, South Bengal State Transport Corporation and North Bengal State Transport Corporation.
The move is aimed at enhancing the empowerment of women and improving their access to transport facilities.
The state government has said that it will issue digital smart cards, along with the beneficiaries' photographs and names, to ensure that there is no misuse of the scheme.