Armed With Pink Tickets, Delhi Women Can Travel For Free On Public Buses Starting Today!

The country can progress when the women will progress, Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal tweeted this morning as the AAP government rolled out free bus rides to women in the national capital in over 55,000 state-run buses.

महिलाएं आगे बढ़ेंगी तभी देश आगे बढ़ेगा। महिलाओं के लिए फ्री बस यात्रा की शुरुआत पर दिल्लीवासियों को मेरा संदेश। pic.twitter.com/BwRIj2C90q

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 29, 2019

The bus rides for senior citizens and students might also be made free in the coming days, Kejriwal said on the app, launched by him ahead of the assembly polls here.

“Every step cannot be completed at once. We will definitely do it. Let us start with women and see the results, and based on the result we will definitely deliberate on making these rides free for senior citizens and students too in the future,” he said.

Women travellers will be given pink tickets in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses to avail the free-ride scheme. The facility will be available in Noida-NCR, airport and other special services operated by the DTC and cluster scheme operators. As per the plan, conductors will distribute pink tickets having a face value of Rs 10 each to women passengers for free-travel. The government will then reimburse the transporters based on the number of such tickets issued.

Congratulations Delhi !!!

This is a historic step for women safety and empowerment https://t.co/wjLf4jB0GZ

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 28, 2019

There are around 3,700 DTC buses and 1,800 buses under the cluster scheme of the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS).

आज सुबह से दिल्ली में महिलाओं की बस यात्रा मुफ्त हो गई है

महिला सुरक्षा, सशक्तिकरण और अर्थव्यवस्था में महिलाओं की हिस्सेदारी को बढ़ाने की ओर ये एक ऐतिहासिक कदम है

इस विषय पर मेरे विचार मैं देश के सामने आज सुबह 11 बजे AK App द्वारा रखूंगा। आप सब जरूर देखें। pic.twitter.com/gQwWxkYuLp

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 29, 2019

“Pink Ticket… I send heartiest greetings on Bhai Dooj to all the sisters of the Delhi family. May you stay safe and progress… The country can progress only when women progress…,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, announcing that the scheme starts on Bhai Dooj, celebrating the bond of brothers and sisters.

पिंक टिकट…दिल्ली परिवार की सभी बहनों को इस भाई की ओर से भाई दूज की ढेरों शुभ कामनायें। आप सुरक्षित रहें, ख़ूब तरक़्क़ी करें। महिलायें आगे बढ़ेंगी, तभी देश आगे बढ़ेगा। https://t.co/y7DvhpAasl

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 29, 2019

CM Kejriwal also tweeted a picture by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot of a woman sitting in a bus, holding a pink ticket.

दिल्ली की बसों में आज से महिलाओं के लिए मुफ़्त यात्रा शुरू हो चुकी है…. बधाई हो दिल्ली!
महिला सुरक्षा के साथ साथ ये क़दम दिल्ली की अर्थव्यवस्था में महिलाओं की भागीदारी भी बढ़ाएगा…

आप सभी को भाई-दूज की शुभकामनाएँ. भाई बहनों के बीच प्यार और बढ़े…

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) October 29, 2019

The number of marshals in public buses, deployed to ensure the safety of women on board, has increased to nearly 13,000 as compared to 3,400 in the past. “I warn all goons harassing women in buses that if you try to harass women there are marshals to take care of you,” Kejriwal said.

“We are committed to boosting the security of women in Delhi. And, I don’t think the level at which we have scaled up the strength of bus marshals, it has been done in any city in the world,” he added.

Kejriwal had announced free bus travel scheme for Delhi women during his Independence Day speech. “Daily 7.5 lakh women commuters take the metro and 8.5 lakh women commuters take the bus service in Delhi,” Kejriwal had said.

Explaining the scheme, Kejriwal had said that the subsidy is optional and a woman can pay for her ticket and help others to benefit from the subsidy.

The motive behind the proposal is to encourage women to take public transport and also to help women who avoided public transport due to high prices, CM Kejriwal said.

Earlier when the announcement was made, the social media was divided with each side listing the pros and cons of the move, while some questioned the feasibility of the implementation.

Women in Delhi will get a free ride on buses and the metro. What a wonderful idea @ArvindKejriwal ! Will Mumbai emulate this? All the trouble we are going through for the construction of the metro will then be worth it.

— Pritish Nandy (@PritishNandy) June 3, 2019

How will Delhi metro ensure that only women are getting free rides. Specialized cards? What if a man uses that card?
Will there be guards at entry point checking that only women are using it?
How will it work?

— Kunal (@SoFlaneur) June 3, 2019

What a great move @ArvindKejriwal. Proud of the exemplary work done by the @AamAadmiParty. You people are inspiring change in India.
Make delhi great again! #AAP

Delhi Metro, bus rides to be for women in Delhi, CM Arvind Kejriwal announces – India News https://t.co/GuYS6F4dMR

— Arbab Ali (@ArbabAl25305813) June 3, 2019

However, AAP’s south Delhi candidate Atishi Marlena had defended the move and also answered some queries of the citizens on Facebook.

The AAP government has slammed the opposition for questioning the plans to provide such facilities to citizens, saying some things need to be “above politics” and these parties need to realise this. Delhi is scheduled for polls early next year and opposition parties have been alleging that the AAP government is giving “freebies” to woo voters.

“Rajiv Gandhi had said out of Rs 100 spent for the welfare of people, Rs 85 goes into corruption and just Rs 15 reaches people. We are saving those Rs 85 and giving facilities to the people of Delhi. Then what problem does the opposition parties have if I am working towards the welfare of the people? They should get above politics in these matters,” Kejriwal said.

Also Read: Delhi Govt Proposes Free Ride For Women In Metros & Buses, Social Media Divided