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Deccan Herald
13 hours ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
Bus fare subsidy helps women increase edu spending: Study
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. 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 Rs 409 to Rs 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. 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 Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Bus fare subsidy helps women save 30-50% on transport costs, increase edu spending: Study
Women save 30-50% 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. Fare subsidies for bus travel also led 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% to 67% 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 (with partial bus fare subsidy in place), where issues such as peak-hour ticket shortages and limited bus fleets persist, only around 3% of women reported employment improvement, compared to 21% of women in cities with more effective systems like Hubballi (full bus fare subsidy available),' 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% of women report feeling safe. In partial subsidy cities, this figure declines to between 35% and 42%, and further drops to 31.5% in cities without subsidies,' the report added.
Hindustan Times
2 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.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
23% rise in women's employment in Bengaluru after Shakti Scheme: Study
A 23% jump in women's employment in Bengaluru and a 21% increase in Hubballi-Dharwad have been recorded following the implementation of Karnataka's Shakti Scheme, which offers fare-free bus travel to women, according to a new study. The report highlights Karnataka as the best-performing State among five-studied States, in terms of linking free public transport to employment gains for women. The findings come from a new report titled 'Beyond Free Rides: A Multi-State Assessment of Women's Bus Fare Subsidy Schemes in Urban India', commissioned by the Sustainable Mobility Network and conducted by Nikore Associates. The report is based on over 2,500 surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews conducted across 10 cities in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and West Bengal, according to the study. In Karnataka, nearly 27% of women in both Bengaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad reported switching to buses because of the scheme, while many said they now travel more frequently and farther for work, education, and other essential needs, the study claims. Mitali Nikore, Founder and chief economist of Nikore Associates, said, 'The Shakti Scheme is enabling more frequent travel, longer trips, and better access to essential services, especially for women who were previously limited by cost. Karnataka's experience shows what's possible when intention meets inclusive access.' 'Met primary objective' Speaking about the findings, Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy said, 'The primary objective of the Shakti Scheme is to empower women, and the increase in women's employment highlighted in the study is an encouraging sign.' 'I have observed that since the scheme was introduced, a large number of women particularly from lower-middle and middle-income families have been using the free bus service to commute for work. Many have found jobs in sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, and domestic services, among others,' Mr. Reddy told The Hindu. Persistent challenges However, the report flags persistent challenges, particularly around first-and-last-mile connectivity. Many women living in peripheral urban areas continue to depend on autorickshaws or other paid options to reach bus stop, costs that eat into their savings and limit the impact of the fare-free scheme. Safety remains another key barrier. Despite rising bus usage, less than half of women in Bengaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad reported feeling safe while commuting. Issues cited include harassment, overcrowding, poor lighting, and lack of staffing at bus stops. To improve the effectiveness of the Shakti Scheme and others like it, the report recommends: fleet expansion to meet rising demand, gender-sensitive staffing and training of transport workers, installation of safety infrastructure like CCTV cameras, lighting, and responsive helplines, and better integration with first-mile and last-mile options. From June 11, 2023, to July 24, 2025, the Shakti Scheme enabled over 508 crore trips for women passengers to travel free of cost across the four State transport undertakings—Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation. The ticket value of women passengers travelled is ₹12,881 crore.
