Bhai Dooj Gift: Free bus rides for women in DTC buses

New Delhi : Women in Delhi received a different kind of 'Bhai dooj' gift from CM Arvind Kejriwal as he made the public transport buses absolutely free for the female travelers.

According to government data, the combined daily ridership of cluster and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses is about 4.4 million in the national capital. Nearly 35% of the commuters are female passenger.

Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia also mentioned that there will be no compromise on the safety of women while there are free rides.

“Free-ride for women in Delhi buses has started from today. Congratulations Delhi! Apart from women safety, it will also increase the role of women in Delhi economy,” Sisodia said in a tweet in Hindi.

A ride in a non-AC bus can cost between Rs 5 and Rs 15 while AC buses charge between Rs 10 and Rs 25. In the first year, the scheme is likely to cost the Delhi government Rs 350 crore.

Women travelling in DTC buses plying to other NCR cities such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad also won’t have to pay.

The official announcement of the free bus ride scheme was made on June 3.

Safety of women in DTC buses

Staring Tuesday, the Delhi government will also induct marshals in each of its 5,558 buses for safety of women. 3,395 marshals are already deployed in buses and over 9,500 will be put on duty from Tuesday. About 10% of the total civil defence volunteers are women.