The state of Uttar Pradesh has approved the procedure for providing free bus rides for women over 60 as part of the Lokmat Ahilya Bai Matri Shiksha program. This directive was issued by P.N. Singh, Deputy Director of the Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation, and sent to all depots, regional managers, and service managers of the corporation.
To use this service, women over sixty must present either an Aadhaar-based passport or an electoral ticket. Subsequently, the conductor is obliged to issue a zero fare ticket. This benefit is a gift from the UP government, and a detailed ordinance has been released for its specific application.
During the Raksha Bandhan festival, more than 88.94 million passengers utilized the free bus travel provided by the Uttar Pradesh government. According to officials, between August 27 and 29, from early morning until midnight, 55.17 million women and 33.76 million accompanying persons took advantage of the free ride.
According to information from the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), the government exceeded its previous year's record this year, spending 106.98 crore rupees on this initiative. Archana Agrawal, Deputy Secretary of the Transport Department, noted that the free ride was announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for women and their companions.
She also emphasized that the employees and drivers of UPSRTC, as well as the conductors, made a significant contribution to the successful implementation of this service.
Last year, during the three days around Raksha Bandhan, 78.26 million passengers took the free ride, costing the government 86.98 crore rupees. This figure increased to 88.94 million this year. Statistics show that on the main day of the festival, August 28, the highest number—49.96 million passengers—used the free fare, including 32.47 million women and 17.48 million accompanying persons.
Furthermore, 9.26 million people used the free ride on August 27, and 29.71 million passengers did so on August 29.