Andhra Pradesh government to issue zero fare bus tickets for women from August 15
Naidu said that the women passengers should be provided with the details of the benefits they are receiving. He asked the officials to develop software for this purpose. Naidu also discussed the financial implications of the scheme on APSRTC and instructed the officials to look for alternative revenue generation sources as well as the reduction of maintenance costs. He told the officials to be ready to handle any kind of issues that may arise after the launch of the scheme.
He instructed them to study the issues that arose in other states when a similar scheme was launched.
The chief minister suggested the officials to prepare advanced estimates on cost implications because of the scheme and ensure that the free bus service to women does not become a burden for the APSRTC. He said that all the new buses to be inducted into the fleet should be air-conditioned electric buses and directed the APSRTC officials to develop the necessary infrastructure for the maintenance and charging of electric buses.
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He told them to generate power through solar and other renewable sources to become self-sufficient, which would largely reduce operating costs. Naidu suggested developing charging infrastructure across the state in APSRTC properties not only for in-house usage but also as a revenue-generating model.
Free bus travel for women is one of the promises made by the NDA in the run-up to the elections. After coming to power, the NDA govt took a cautious approach in launching the scheme in view of the experiences in other states and the financial situation of the APSRTC and the state at large.
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