Free rides for women in Delhi: No women I have met is unhappy with the decision, says CM

New Delhi : Backing his decision to give free rides to women in Delhi public transport, including Delhi Metro, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he has not met any woman till date who is unhappy with the decision.

The Delhi CM was on a footmarch on Saturday in the Malviya Nagar Assembly constituency where he interacted with local residents.

“The scheme will be rolled out within two-and-a-half months. I’ve asked each and every woman here, and not a single woman I’ve met since morning has told me she is not happy with free travel in metro and bus,” Kejriwal said.

On the NDA government’s insistence on implementing Ayushman Bharat in Delhi, he said, “According to the Centre’s scheme, if you have a refrigerator, a two-wheeler or a television, you are not considered poor. Does this mean the rest of the people are not poor? Is it necessary that a two-wheeler owner can afford health care for all members of his/her family? Our scheme provides full treatment for free for all Delhi residents and has been functioning well for the past two years.”

Last Monday, CM Arvind Kejriwal had proposed the idea of free travel for women in public transport- this includes the Delhi Metro, cluster buses and DTC buses.

Announcing the proposal, he claimed that the losses in the services will be borne by Delhi Government.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Kejriwal assured that this is a step towards making public transport and the city safer for women.

The other political parties tagged it as a completely political move to earn votes in upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections.