Guntur: The State Cabinet meeting, scheduled for January 31, is poised to delve into the possibility of offering free bus travel to women on APSRTC buses. It is expected that the meeting will approve the provision of free bus travel for women on APSRTC Express and Palle Velugu bus services. The Finance Department has submitted a comprehensive report to the State government, outlining the annual expenditure that would be incurred if the scheme were to be implemented. This scheme bears resemblance to those currently enforced by Congress-led governments in Karnataka and Telangana. Its introduction would place an additional financial burden of Rs 1,440 crore on the government.
The ruling YSRCP believes that this initiative could garner support from female voters in the upcoming elections. Simultaneously, as State Assembly elections are drawing near, the government has initiated preparations for the Mega DSC notification’s release, which is also anticipated to be on the Cabinet meeting’s agenda. Furthermore, discussions during the meeting may encompass the subject of Intermediate Relief (IR) for government employees.
In a similar vein, plans are in motion to launch a free bus service for women in Vijayawada, influenced by the positive reception of such schemes in neighboring Telangana and Karnataka. The opposition TDP has also pledged to implement a similar program if they assume power. Therefore, the state government is contemplating rolling out this initiative ahead of the elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Sources within the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) have disclosed that, if all goes as planned, the free bus service for women could commence as early as January 26. However, as of now, Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Vice Chairman and Managing Director (VC&MD) of APSRTC, has not received any directives from the government regarding this scheme. He stated, “Introducing such a scheme is a policy decision of the state government. Currently, we neither have any directions nor instructions from the government regarding such a scheme. If the government intends to implement it in the future, we will work out a plan accordingly.”
Initial estimates suggest that if the free bus travel scheme for women is rolled out statewide, APSRTC could incur an annual cost ranging from 1,300 crore to 1,650 crore. These figures are preliminary estimates based on experiences from Karnataka and Telangana, and the actual cost could vary depending on the demand the scheme generates in Andhra Pradesh, sources added.