The programs are part of an initiative aimed at facilitating greater female participation in the workforce and improving access to essential services.
According to an article by Kavitha Yarlagadda, republished recently, free bus passes are opening up economic opportunities for women in India. In 2019, Delhi became the first city in the country to issue complimentary tickets printed on pink paper for women. Since then, other states, including Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Telangana, have implemented similar initiatives, with more than one billion tickets being utilized thus far.
This seemingly simple yet impactful measure helps Indian women overcome a significant barrier to employment and accessing daily necessities. Without access to the bus system, these women would typically walk an average of three to five kilometers per day, resulting in a potential loss of up to a quarter of their annual earnings.
Moreover, the program has generated economic benefits for transit agencies. The implementation of initiatives like the Shakti project has led to increased ridership and revenue for all four road transport corporations (RTCs) in Karnataka.
Yarlagadda emphasizes that the increased visibility of women on public transportation is a crucial step towards normalizing their presence across all sectors of society.
This initiative is initiated to support and honour women’s roles in society, making their commutes easier and more convenient as they travel from home to work or other destinations. The rising traffic has made travelling more challenging across different locations, so this initiative comes as a timely support.
