Women in Bengaluru can take free rides in city buses on Women’s Day. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), to mark the day, has decided to offer free bus rides in all types of buses, including premier AC services operated to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA).
The primary objectives of the outreach programme are to provide a safe public transport system to women and increase the ridership of city buses by encouraging women to switch to public transport from other modes of transport.
The BMTC last offered free bus rides for Bengalureans when it turned 25 years on August 15, 2022. This is the first time women are being offered free bus rides on March 8. The corporation has a fleet size of 6,600 buses and runs schedules of 5,567 buses every day. It operates 50,000 trips and covers a distance of 10.84 lakh km.
On average, 29 lakh people rely on city bus services. It is said around 25% to 30% of passengers are women. On March 8, more than 20 lakh women are expected to travel in city buses.
The corporation recently approached the State Government seeking its permission to offer free rides for women on International Women’s Day. It is estimated that BMTC may have to let go of fare revenue of over ₹ 8 crore to provide the free rideS.
BMTC MD G.Sathyavathi said, “On International Women’s Day, we want to pass the message to women of Bengaluru to use public transport and that it is safe for them. It is also an outreach programme by the Corporation to popularise our services and get more patronage in the coming days. On Wednesday, we are running all the scheduled operations and women will be allowed to travel in all services, including those operated to the Airport, for free.”
Passengers avail the free ride in Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), on the occasion of 25 years of the Corporation offering free services across Bengaluru on August 15, 2022. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
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