• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Continuing an eight-year-old tradition, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will once again offer free bus travel to women on the occasion of Rakshabandhan. Women will be able to travel without a ticket across the state on August 8, 9, and 10 in over 13,000 buses operated by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC).

This initiative, which symbolises the government’s gesture of "gifting" safe travel to women on Rakhi, began in August 2017 and has become an annual fixture. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme continued uninterrupted, although the number of women availing the facility saw a temporary dip.

ALSO READ: Apple CEO Tim Cook Gifts Trump 24K Gold And Glass Statue | How Much Does It Cost?

Over the past eight years, more than 1.23 crore women have benefited from the initiative. Had tickets been issued, the total fare amount would have exceeded Rs 101 crore. Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh confirmed that the government has reimbursed this amount to the Corporation through budgetary and supplementary grants.

Year-wise highlights of women travellers on Rakshabandhan:

-2017: 11.16 lakh women travelled; free travel worth approx. Rs 6.08 crore

-2018: 11.69 lakh women; Rs 7.41 crore worth of free travel

-2019: 12.04 lakh women; approx. Rs 7.68 crore

-2020: 7.36 lakh women amid the pandemic; Rs 4.82 crore

-2021: 9.63 lakh women; Rs 8.91 crore

-2022: 22.32 lakh women; Rs 18.98 crore

-2023: Record 29.29 lakh women travelled; travel worth Rs 27.66 crore

-2024: 19.78 lakh women availed the facility; Rs 19.87 crore covered by the state

In 2023 alone, over 68,950 women from the Lucknow region, including depots at Charbagh, Alambagh, Kaiserbagh, Kamta, Barabanki, and Raebareli,used the service. Additionally, 27,000 women commuted via city buses within urban areas.

The Uttar Pradesh government and UPSRTC are also taking major strides toward women’s empowerment and safety through various measures:

-Over two dozen women drivers have been selected and are undergoing training.

-Recruitment is in progress for 5,000 women conductors to boost female representation in public transport.

-Childcare leave is being provided to female employees.

-Mother-child care rooms have been set up at major bus stations.

-Under the Nirbhaya Yojana, panic buttons have been installed on buses to enhance safety.

ALSO READ: J-K: 3 CRPF Jawans Killed, 15 Injured After Bus Carrying Them Falls In Gorge In Udhampur; Rescue On

-50 Pink Buses dedicated exclusively to women’s travel are operational.

-The state's first double-decker city bus offers free tours for women every Saturday.

With these inclusive efforts, the Yogi Adityanath government continues to make public transport more accessible, safe, and empowering for women—especially during festivals like Rakshabandhan that celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters.