Over 6.4 crore women benefit from Andhra’s Stree Shakti free bus travel scheme in first month
VIJAYAWADA: Over 6.4 crore women, girls and transgender passengers have availed free bus travel across Andhra Pradesh in the first month since the launch of the Stree Shakti scheme.
The scheme, launched on August 15 by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Konidala Pawan Kalyan and others, fulfils one of the six promises under the Super Six manifesto. It allows all women with Andhra Pradesh domicile status to travel free of cost on Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, City Ordinary, Express and Metro Express buses. Nearly 75 per cent of the APSRTC fleet is covered under the initiative.
Between August 15 and September 15, the scheme recorded over 6.4 crore beneficiaries, with the occupancy ratio of eligible buses rising to an average of 85 per cent. The proportion of women passengers increased to 60 per cent, up from less than 40 per cent prior to the scheme’s implementation. APSRTC officials stated that a subsidy of Rs 243 crore is due from the State government for the first month. However, the scheme has also presented challenges. Reports of altercations and seat-related disputes have surfaced, with viral videos showing women arguing on buses and male passengers expressing frustration over seat availability.
In response, APSRTC higher officials have directed depot and traffic managers to identify problematic routes. Based on feedback from ground-level staff, the corporation is considering deploying additional buses on more than 200 routes, particularly in the Pallevelugu and Express segments, to ease congestion and improve service.