New Delhi, In an unusual move, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal travelled in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses on Wednesday to gauge the women passengers’ response to the free ride scheme.
“Correct. I boarded a few buses to get direct feedback from women. In addition to students, working women, women going for shopping, I also met a few who have to visit doctor regularly. They are very happy,” Kejriwal tweeted.
One woman commuter told Kejriwal his government was the first to think of women’s welfare and with this initiative she would be able to save around Rs 2,000 a month, which could be used for child’s education and other purposes.
Appreciating the Delhi government’s initiative, another woman said she could now save Rs 1,500-2,000 and that would help in building future of her child.
Most woman also praised Kejriwal for deploying marshals and said it would help in providing a safe and secure bus ride. Presence of marshals was creating a sense of safety among women bus commuters and it would make commuting easier for women, Kejriwal said.
Even men commuters praised the Delhi government’s initiatives.
Earlier during the day, Kejriwal tweeted, today all his sisters in Delhi had become VIPs as till now only MP and MLAs used to get free ride. But now the women in the national capital were also getting this facility, he added.
On Tuesday, when the scheme was launched, around 2.20 lakh commuters enjoyed free bus rides.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government launched the free ride scheme in DTC and the cluster scheme buses on Tuesday on the occasion of Bhai Dooj.
According to the plan, conductors distribute pink tickets with a face value of Rs 10 each to women passengers for free travel. The government will reimburse the money to transporters, based on the tickets issued.
Around 3,700 DTC buses and 1,800 buses under the cluster scheme of the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) ply on Delhi roads.