The women in TSRTC buses were surprised when the bus conductor asked for a ticket. The government had recently made TSRTC buses free for women, so the women were confused why they were being asked to buy a ticket. The conductors had to explain that they don’t need to buy a ticket, but instead, the conductor would give them a ticket with Rs 0 written on it as proof of their Aadhaar card.
One woman named Sunitha shared her experience of being shocked when the conductor asked for a ticket and she didn’t have any cash with her. She thought that maybe the government had changed its decision on free rides for women. However, the conductor asked her to show her Aadhaar card and issued her a Rs 0 ticket.
There is some confusion among women about why they are being given Rs 0 tickets when they can travel for free. What they don’t know is that TSRTC has decided to issue these tickets to women as a way for them to contribute to the organization.
The TSRTC MD, V C Sajjanar, has asked all female passengers to take a Rs 0 ticket and support the organization. He held a meeting with field-level officials to discuss the implementation of this scheme. Sajjanar mentioned that the free bus travel facility for women, called Mahalakshmi, has been well-received and is being implemented smoothly. The software has been updated on the machines used by conductors, and starting from Friday, Rs 0 tickets will be issued.
Sajjanar emphasized that all women, including girls, students, and third genders, should use this scheme and it is mandatory to take Rs 0 tickets from the conductor. TSRTC has made arrangements to ensure that women passengers do not face any difficulties during their travels.
TSRTC COO Dr. Ravinder, Executive Director (Operations) Muni Shekhar, CTM Jeevan Prasad, CEIT Rajasekhar, IT ATM Rajasekhar, and others were present during the meeting.
