HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) is planning to introduce chip-based smart cards for women passengers in the near future to enable them to avail free bus travel facility under the Mahalakshmi scheme.
Launched on December 9, 2023, the scheme has witnessed massive usage, with women passengers utilising more than 290 crore zero-fare tickets across Telangana till date and saving transport expenses worth Rs 10,000 crore, according to the TGSRTC.
The Corporation is also planning to simplify the implementation of the scheme and maintain accurate passenger data. With the introduction of smart cards, women will be able to travel without showing Aadhaar cards. This will make the travel process more convenient, officials claimed. They also said new buses are being added to manage the increased passenger rush following the success of the scheme.
According to the TGSRTC, the Mahalakshmi scheme is currently applicable in about 81% of its buses, including Palle Velugu (3,278 buses), District Express (2,039 buses), City Ordinary (1,829 buses), and City Metro Express (1,044 buses).
TGSRTC Managing Director Y Nagi Reddy on Sunday stated that before the introduction of the scheme, women accounted for around 40% of the total passengers in RTC buses. After the scheme was implemented, the share of women passengers increased sharply to over 67%. On average, more than 35 lakh women are travelling daily in RTC buses across the state.
He explained that women from poor and middle-class families, including students and workers, who earlier spent between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500 per month on bus travel, are now able to save that amount. The cumulative savings of Rs 10,000 crore is being seen as a major step towards improving women’s financial independence.
He said the scheme is also helping women access employment, education and healthcare more easily, as they are now able to travel free of cost between villages, towns and Hyderabad. Women are increasingly travelling for jobs, education, medical treatment and even religious trips with their families, officials added.
