Latest news with #BeyondFreeRides
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Bus fare subsidy helps women save 30-50 pc on transport costs, increase edu spending: Study
Kolkata, Women save 30-50 per cent on transport costs in cities with fare-free travel, allowing them to redirect resources towards essential household needs such as food, healthcare and children's education, according to a survey covering five states in the country. Bus fare subsidy helps women save 30-50 pc on transport costs, increase edu spending: Study Fare subsidies for bus travel also lead to more jobs for women, it said. More than one in four women across Delhi, Bengaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad, where fully subsidised fare is in place, reported switching to buses after such schemes were introduced, the study said. The report – 'Beyond Free Rides: A Multi-State Assessment of Women's Bus Fare Subsidy Schemes in Urban India' commissioned by the Sustainable Mobility Network and prepared by Nikore Associates, evaluates such fare subsidy programmes for women and transgender persons across 10 cities in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Maharashtra. "For many women, especially those in low-income jobs, daily bus fares stood in the way of work and opportunity. Removing that cost does more than improve access it enables economic participation and affirms dignity," Nikore Associates founder and chief economist Mitali Nikore said in a statement. "In cities with a full bus fare subsidy scheme, women save consistently over half of their monthly transport expenses. These savings offer meaningful budget relief, allowing them to redirect resources toward essential household needs such as food, healthcare and children's education," the report said. Cities with partial subsidy schemes offer limited financial benefits, it said. The report revealed that in cities such as Nagpur and Pune, where fare subsidies apply primarily to intercity or long-distance routes, average monthly savings range from ₹409 to ₹538. These limited outcomes are due to a "misalignment between subsidy coverage and women's actual travel patterns, as most of their trips occur within the city limits and are linked to work-related responsibilities", it said. These daily, short-distance journeys often remain fully paid by the women, which limits the overall effectiveness of the subsidy, the report found. Around 50 per cent to 67 per cent of women in cities with no subsidies, such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata, Durgapur, would switch to buses if the fare was made free, the survey pointed out. Moreover, the report highlighted that full bus-fare subsidy schemes demonstrate varying employment outcomes across cities, despite identical fare waiver policies. This variation suggests that the quality of the bus system significantly influences scheme effectiveness. "Survey data reveals that women in cities with reliable service delivery, such as Bengaluru, where bus availability and frequency are strong, report employment improvements at rates almost five times higher than those in cities with infrastructural constraints," the survey said. "For instance, in Mumbai , where issues such as peak-hour ticket shortages and limited bus fleets persist, only around 3 per cent of women reported employment improvement, compared to 21 per cent of women in cities with more effective systems like Hubballi ," it said. In cities where discounts apply primarily to intercity or long-distance travel, the employment impact remains low. Most women commute within cities, making short, frequent trips that continue to incur full fares, it said. However, safety concerns persist among women across cities, regardless of fare subsidy status, according to the report. "In full subsidy cities, only 42-46 per cent of women report feeling safe. In partial subsidy cities, this figure declines to between 35 per cent and 42 per cent, and further drops to 31.5 per cent in cities without subsidies," the report added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
‘Free bus rides to push up number of female commuters'
Kolkata: Nearly half of the woman commuters in Kolkata (44.5%) and more than half in Durgapur (62.5%) travel by buses. If fares were waived, 27.8% more in Kolkata and 25% more in Durgapur would shift to buses, according to a new study that underscores the potential of bus fare subsidy schemes to drive inclusive mobility and local economic growth in Bengal. The report, 'Beyond Free Rides: A Multi-State Assessment of Women's Bus Fare Subsidy Schemes in Urban India', released by the Sustainable Mobility Network, anchored by Purpose and Asar, is a coalition of 20 organisations, including SwitchON Foundation in Kolkata. The study by Nikore Associates is the first-of-its-kind multi-state analysis of women-focused fare subsidy programmes. Based on over 2,500 surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews across 10 cities in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Bengal and Maharashtra, the study highlights the strong demand for affordable and reliable public transport. The data highlights how free or subsidised bus fare schemes could change travel behaviour in Durgapur and Kolkata across seven key parameters. In both cities, the largest shift is seen in 'shift to buses' (S1), with 27.8% in Kolkata and 25% in Durgapur, indicating a strong potential to move commuters towards public transport if fares are waived. Travel for work/education (S2) also shows a notable rise in Kolkata (22.5%) compared to Durgapur (13.3%), suggesting greater work or education-related mobility benefits in the state capital. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "A well-designed fare support scheme can transform these trade-offs into safer, more regular, and dignified bus travel, especially for low-income groups," said Vinay Jaju of SwitchON Foundation. "When women are already dependent on buses despite financial strain, it shows how impactful fare support can be," said Mitali Nikore, founder and chief economist at Nikore Associates. "Many domestic workers say bus fares consume nearly a third of their monthly income, leaving little for food or education," said Nupur Sarkar of the Civilian Welfare Foundation.
