FREE STATE BUS RIDES: WOMEN CLAIM A FIRST IN BENGAL

Sarthak.G

Kolkata: Women claimed their first “zero-balance” trips on wheels on Monday when Bengal govt rolled out free rides for them in all state-run buses plying on different routes, from hills to plains. These commuters got free-ride tickets from conductors after showing their valid identity proofs. While the scheme reduced travel expenses of women, the beneficiaries also urged the govt to raise the frequency of state bus services.

The fulfilment of the promise by the BJP, less than a month after helming the govt, has brought smiles on the faces of many women who got financial relief for their daily commute.

In the afternoon, a conductor of a Ruby-bound state bus, while calling out for passengers, was in for a surprise as state minister Agnimitra Paul boarded it from Gariahat. Aboard the bus, the minister checked whether the woman passengers were getting free service on govt buses as promised by the new govt. She obtained a “zero-value ticket” for herself from the conductor. While urging passengers to go in for public transport to reduce use of their own cars, considering the present fuel crisis, she also vowed to take free state bus ride at least once a week.

She said, “It is not enough for the govt to just issue a directive and wash its hands of it. It is also our responsibility to see whether the work is actually being done on the ground. There are many people for whom Rs 50 to Rs 100 is a significant amount. They are benefiting from this initiative.”

CM Suvendu Adhikari took to social media, terming the launch as a landmark step towards women empowerment in the state. “Bengal takes another step forward in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To fulfil BJP’s pre-election promise, the govt has launched free travel for women in all govt buses from hills to plains,” he said.

Given the scorching heat, the AC buses run by WBTC on different routes in the city saw rush of women passengers during peak hours. Schoolstudent Riya Roy who travelled in an AC bus from Kasba to Tollygunge said, “I showed my identity card and the conductor gave me a ticket without taking any fare.”

From 5 am, beneficiaries started gathering at Esplanade bus depot from where long-distances services are operated by SBSTC and NBSTC to different parts of the state. To assist beneficiaries, transport dept officials arranged for a special desk, and the women queued up at designated counters to show their ID cards and get their zero-value tickets. Some conductors said the ETF machines used for generating tickets were not functioning properly in the morning. .

Banners with list of documents that the beneficiaries require to travel for free in state buses were put up at the depot. “They need to show any of the 11 documents to prove their citizenship before taking the ride,” said an official.