In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8, the Rajasthan government has announced that women and girls will be able to travel for free on all Rajasthan Roadways buses. This includes both ordinary and fast buses, with an estimated 8.50 lakh women and girls expected to utilize the service.
The decision was approved by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who has also approved a proposal to increase the concession for women on fares of ordinary Rajasthan Roadways buses to 50 percent. Currently, the discount on ordinary buses is 30 per cent, but the increased exemption will be implemented from April 1.
The move is estimated to put an additional annual financial burden of around Rs 3.50 crore on the state government. However, Gehlot had announced the increased concession in the state budget for 2023-24, demonstrating the government's commitment to providing affordable and accessible public transportation for women.
In addition to the free travel service, the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) has also entered its 53rd year of business since its inception on October 1, 1964.
The corporation was established under the Road Transport Act 1950 with the aim of providing economic, adequate, punctual, and efficient services to the traveling public in the state.
Currently, the RSRTC operates with 8 depots and 421 buses, covering 45,000 kilometres and carrying 29,000 passengers per day. Across 51 depots, more than 4,500 buses are plying over 16 lace kilometres and carrying more than 9 lac passengers per day.
(Edited by : Soham Shetty)
