Lucknow,

10 Aug (HS): The free bus travel scheme launched by the Yogi government of

Uttar Pradesh for women on the occasion of Rakshabandhan has created new

records of passenger numbers this time. Considering that this facility will run

for three days, it is expected to create a record of 75 lakh passengers by 12

midnight. According to the Transport Corporation, up to 70 percent of these passengers

may be those who are being given the benefit of free travel by the government.

It

is noteworthy that on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the Yogi government has

given a big gift to the mothers and sisters of the state by allowing free

travel in the buses of the Transport Corporation from August 8 to 10. In this

facility is also being given to a co-passenger along with the women.

75

lakh passengers expected to travel in 3 days: According to Transport

Corporation Managing Director Masoom Ali Sarwar, on normal days, 14-15 lakh

passengers travel in the corporation's buses every day. This time, in the first

two days of Raksha Bandhan festival, this figure reached more than 50 lakh.

About 70 percent of these were women passengers who took advantage. MD Sarwar

said that there was a huge crowd of passengers at the bus stations from 6 am on

August 8. On the first day, i.e. August 8, more than 19.5 lakh people traveled,

which was 25 percent more than normal days. On August 9, the day of Raksha

Bandhan, this number crossed 31.7 lakh, which was more than 210 percent

compared to normal days. On the third day, August 10, by 12.50 pm, 13 lakh

passengers had traveled and by 12 midnight, this number is expected to reach 25

lakh. In this way, more than 75 lakh people will travel in buses in three days,

which is an unprecedented number in the history of the Transport Corporation.

Additional

buses were run, all employees were deployed: He told that this time on the

instructions of the Chief Minister, free travel facility was made available for

women and daughters in all categories of roadways buses from 6 am on 8 August

to 12 midnight on 10 August. During this period, additional buses were run as

per the need and all the contracted buses were also put into operation. In view

of the high number of passengers, special duty and additional employees were

deployed at major bus stations Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow,

Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Kanpur and Etawah. He also told that a scheme has been

implemented to give incentives to drivers and conductors, in which 1200 will be

paid on completing 1800 km of operation and additional 0.55 per kilometer will

be given on working continuously for 6 days. At the same time, technical

employees are also being given a lump sum incentive of Rs. 500 for being

present every day. Personnel and supervisors who maintain better operational

system will also be honored at the rate of Rs. 5000 per station.

In

the last 8 years, 1.23 crore sisters got the benefit of free travel: The scheme

of free travel in roadways buses for mothers and sisters on Raksha Bandhan,

started in 2017 on the initiative of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has become

a symbol of women empowerment and social harmony in the last eight years. In

these 8 years, 1,23,30,194 women have benefited from it, for which the

government bore the financial burden of Rs 101.42 crore. In these years, more

than 29 lakh women traveled free of cost in 2023. This facility has proved to

be a “gift of respect” especially for women of rural, backward and low income

groups, giving them the opportunity of safe, accessible and respectable travel.

This unique effort to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with emotional and family

connection shows that the Yogi government does not limit women's welfare to

mere announcements, but is committed to the dignity and convenience of women by

implementing it on the ground.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi