Following up on the Congress party’s election promise, the Telangana government is set to allow women to travel freely in the government buses (Road Transport Corporation) starting December 9, 2023.
A ‘Zero Ticket’ will be issued to those traveling, and the RTC will gather data about the travel patterns to improve the time schedules in different routes.
Currently, women make up 40 percent of the total passengers, and that number is expected to go up.
Speaking to reporters, RTC MD Sajjanar called the decision historic.
He said he spoke to the RTC employees via Zoom conference to notify them of the decision and clear their doubts. The employees were also asked to be polite and to ensure that the passengers would not be inconvenienced, he added.
Addressing revenue concerns, Mr. Sajjanar said RTC income is 14 crores per day but is expected to fall by half, and the RTC will ask the government for reimbursement.