Stree Shakti Free Travel Scheme Completes One Year in AP, 87-Cr Women’s Journeys Recorded
Amaravati, Aug 14 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh’s ‘Stree Shakti’ free bus travel scheme for women is set to complete one year on August 15, with an average of 24 lakh women travelling daily and around 87 crore journeys recorded since its launch.
The state government has spent Rs 3,095 crore on the scheme during the past year and is providing a subsidy of Rs 8.53 crore every day towards women’s travel, an official release said here on Friday.
The scheme is being implemented across five categories of APSRTC buses — Express, Ultra Pallevelugu, Pallevelugu, Metro Express and City Ordinary.
Of the total 9,978 APSRTC buses, 7,631 buses, or 76 per cent, are being utilised under the scheme. Free travel has also been extended to women travelling on special bus services operated to temples.
The proportion of women among APSRTC passengers has increased from 40 per cent to 62 per cent since the scheme was introduced, while the number of women travelling daily has risen from 9.47 lakh to 24 lakh.
Occupancy on buses covered under the scheme has reached 93 per cent, officials said.
The scheme has helped reduce women’s travel expenses and facilitated their access to education, employment, healthcare, business and other essential services.
Women can travel anywhere within Andhra Pradesh by producing their Aadhaar card.
Officials said the scheme had particularly benefited women travelling to colleges, those commuting between villages and towns for small businesses and those visiting places of worship.
They also said road accidents in rural areas had declined significantly after the scheme’s implementation, with more people shifting from shared autos and private vehicles to APSRTC buses.
To mark the completion of one year, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will interact with women beneficiaries on Saturday as part of statewide programmes under the theme ‘One Year of Stree Shakti’.
After attending the Independence Day celebrations at the Capital Parade Ground, Naidu will travel by bus to the Chief Minister’s Camp Office along with beneficiaries of the scheme.
He will later interact with them over high tea and seek their feedback and suggestions on the implementation and benefits of the scheme.
TNT KM
