Delhi govt approves Rs 290 crore grants for women’s free travel in buses, metro trains

The funds are being set aside to fulfill Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's promise of frees rides on DTC buses, cluster buses and the metro from 29 October.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia interacts with women passengers in a DTC bus in New Delhi on 4 June, 2019. | ANI Photo

New Delhi: The Delhi assembly on Monday passed the government’s supplementary demands for grants of Rs 290 crore for free travel for women passengers in buses and metro trains.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also tabled a proposal of supplementary demands for grants of Rs 142 crore to fund deployment of marshals in buses and Rs 47 crore for the regional rapid transit system corridors, which were approved with a voice of votes.

According to the supplementary demands for grants tabled by Sisodia, the government has set aside Rs 140 crore for free travel for women in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and cluster buses, while Rs 150 crore in metro trains.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had, in his Independence Day address, announced that rides on DTC and cluster buses would be free for women from October 29.

Sisodia said the free-ride scheme would be implemented soon in the public transport buses, but it would take some time in case of metro trains as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had to make preparations for it.