Stree Shakthi' scheme sees subdued response
However, the turnout fell short of the high demand anticipated for a free service. Officials said that the subdued response might be due to the three-day holiday period, which included Independence Day, Krishn Ashtami and Sunday. RTC authorities anticipate that there will be a surge starting from Monday, Aug 18.
For instance, the Parvathipuram-Visakhapatnam bus, which earned about Rs 9,000 in ticket fares on Satuday, reported about Rs 3,400 worth of free tickets issued to women passengers on Saturday.
Since zero-fare tickets are recorded for govt reimbursement, this indicates that women availing the free service made up about 40% of the bus occupancy. Similarly, a bus traveling to Narsipatnam, roughly 75 kilometers away, still had some vacant seats.
Speaking to ToI, A Ramannamma, a private employee who previously used a monthly bus pass costing Rs 460 for travel between Bullayya College and Arilova in Visakhapatnam, said the free bus travel scheme would eliminate her need for a monthly pass.
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"If someone like me can save Rs 500 a month on city travel, long-distance commuters stand to save Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 monthly," she said.
R Janaki, a woman passenger heading to Srikakulam from Dwaraka bus station, said that she will save Rs 125 each way on journey. "It's a great initiative that empowers women, allowing us to travel anywhere in the state free of charge," said Janaki.
However, limited bus service availability beyond the districts remains a challenge for long-distance women travellers wishing to use the scheme.
While several buses from Visakhapatnam to destinations in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, such as Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Narsipatnam, are included in the free travel category, options to travel to nearby cities like Kakinada and Rajahmundry, about 200 kilometers from Visakhapatnam, are limited.
This is mainly because RTC operates mostly ultra-deluxe, AC, Indra, and non-stop services on these routes, which are currently excluded from the scheme.
Furthermore, some women faced difficulties accessing the free service due to the lack of required identity cards. While some conductors allowed travel with photocopies or showing Aadhaar cards on mobile phones, others insisted passengers purchase tickets instead of traveling for free.
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