Free bus travel for women, transgenders from Aug 15

 Vijayawada: The state government’s ‘Super Six’ guarantee of free bus travel for women will be implemented starting August 15, announced transport minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy.

Speaking to the press on Monday at the Secretariat, the minister said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to ensure a flawless implementation of the scheme. He revealed that a team of three ministers had visited Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana to study how these states have implemented similar schemes. A comprehensive report from this team has been submitted to the government.

The minister confirmed that the scheme is set to be approved in the upcoming cabinet meeting on August 6.

Referring to the scheme details that the minister said that all women and transgender individuals from the state of Andhra Pradesh are eligible for free travel. The scheme will cover travel on Palle Velugu, Ultra Palle Velugu, City Ordinary, Express, and Metro Express buses.

Passengers will be required to show an Aadhaar card, voter ID card, or ration card as proof of identity. The scheme will be implemented on 74 per cent of the state’s buses, which amounts to approximately 6,700 vehicles.

The minister stated that the estimated annual expenditure for the scheme is around Rs 1,950 crore.

He also announced plans to procure an additional 3,000 electric buses this year, with another 1,400 to be added over the next two years. To meet the increased demand, the government will also recruit more drivers and mechanics.