BENGALURU: Adding to the ongoing debate on the recently launched Shakti scheme, which offers free bus travel for women in Karnataka, a senior Bengaluru-based doctor on Tuesday insisted on free travel for women on Namma Metro. The tweet went viral within hours eliciting a lively debate online.
Dr Deepak Krishnamurthy, senior interventional cardiologist, Sakra World Hospital, tweeted six simple words, “Metro should be free for women.” Vamshi using the twitter handle @VKodipunjula retorted: “Doctors should provide free treatment for all women.”
Another medical professional, Dr Philomath, said, “Nothing should be free for earning women for just being women.”
In a lighter vein, entrepreneur A G M Swami appeared to call for free aeroplane travel also for women.
A twitter handle took a dig at freebies offered by the Congress. @Smile&Shine tweeted: INC India you must adopt our doc. For the next 50 years, you will continue to win.
Anil Raje Urs from Mysuru said the move will help garment workers as they travel long distances from Kanakapura, Magadi and Tumakuru to their places of work. “Due to their demand, Metro starts early. Tech workers should be given discounts but not allowed free.”
Public transport activist, Srinivas Alavilli, told TNIE, “As a proponent of free or subsidised public transport, I do not support free travel for women in Metro. The scheme for women does not apply in AC Vajra, Airport Vayuvajra buses and long distance AC buses for good reason.
The same applies here. Metro is generally not a preferred mode of transport for short-distance travel and those that travel long distance in metro are able to afford the cost of travel. A better approach will be to subsidise all bus travel, including for men, to entice more people to use public transport.” A senior Metro official did not offer any comments when asked about it.