The Odisha government on Thursday made provision for free travel for women passengers on state-run ‘Ama Bus’ for one day on the occasion of ‘Raksha Bandhan’, an official said.
Women are being allowed free travel in state-run buses for one day as per the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the proposal of Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, the official said.
The Comprehensive Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has ensured that women travel on Ama Bus services for one day without any fare. The initiative reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring dignity, priority and greater convenience for women, the minister said.
The facility is available on all ‘Ama Buses’ operating in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Keonjhar. More than one lakh women passengers are expected to benefit from the initiative in a single day, the official said.
“The primary objective of this initiative is to ensure safe, convenient and affordable public transport for women. By promoting safe and inclusive public mobility, the initiative is expected to further strengthen women’s social and economic mobility and enable them to travel with greater confidence and ease,” Mohapatra said.
Ama Bus services are being made safer and more reliable through facilities such as GPS-based bus tracking, CCTV surveillance, trained bus staff and passenger assistance systems, among other measures.
CRUT managing director Siddik Alam said that the initiative will further strengthen CRUT’s commitment to providing women with safe, affordable and dignified mobility.
However, despite the free travel facility, it will be mandatory for women passengers to obtain a ‘zero ticket’. CRUT has also requested all passengers to cooperate with bus staff and maintain proper passenger etiquette to ensure smooth and comfortable travel for everyone.
-PTI
