The Congress government has launched a major public transport system called Arogya Sri Bima scheme, which includes free travel for women in RTC buses. This scheme is one of six guarantee schemes provided by the government. Karimnagar, the largest RTC region after Hyderabad, is estimated to have 40,000 people benefiting from this free travel starting from Saturday.
In the combined district, an average of 80,000 people use RTC buses daily, with half of them being women. The RTC Karimnagar region currently earns Rs.1.40 crore per day, and providing free travel for women will cost Rs.70 lakh.
Women in Karimnagar shared their opinions on this scheme. Laharika, a BCom student, said that previously they had to stand in long queues every month to get a bus pass and had to pay more due to increased RTC charges. With free travel, girl students can save money and time, allowing them to focus more on their studies. Challuri Madhavi, a private employee, stated that while this scheme is useful for women, it would be better if there was some concession provided instead of completely free travel. She also emphasized the need to strengthen education from KG to PG, which has been neglected in previous governments.
Devarakonda Santoshini, the BC women’s organizer, mentioned that while this scheme is beneficial for women empowerment, providing concessional travel instead of completely free travel would be a better approach. Vaishnavi, a transgender individual, expressed happiness about receiving identification cards from the government and supported the government’s decision. RTC conductor Kavya highlighted that there are guidelines in place to ensure that women are picked up at every bus stop and that buses should not go without stopping under any circumstances.
