Lucknow, August 29 (PTI) Approximately 80 lakh women and one accompanying passenger used the Uttar Pradesh government’s free bus travel facility by 5:00 pm on Saturday, following a massive single-day surge of 49.96 lakh passengers on Raksha Bandhan on Friday, officials said. The initiative, launched by the Yogi Adityanath government, provided zero-fare tickets across the state to facilitate travel for the festival, with figures continuing to rise until the midnight deadline on Saturday, they said. Women passengers were allowed to travel free of cost with one companion on Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) buses, with the facility starting at 6:00 am on August 27 and running until midnight on August 29, the corporation said.
According to UPSRTC, over 9.26 lakh women and companions availed the scheme’s benefits on August 27. This included more than 6.03 lakh women and over 3.22 lakh companions.
There was a massive surge in the number of people availing of free travel on Raksha Bandhan.
Officials said more than 49.96 lakh free tickets were issued on that day, benefiting over 32.47 lakh women and more than 17.48 lakh companions.
Officials said combining the available data from August 27 and 28, over 59.23 lakh tickets have been issued in two days. This figure includes more than 38.51 lakh women and over 20.71 lakh accompanying passengers.
Passengers welcomed the move and said the free bus travel scheme not only provided financial relief to many families during the festival, but also made it easier for sisters to travel to their brothers for Rakhi tying.
Officials said the free bus travel facility was extended to elderly women on Friday under the ‘Lokmata Ahilyabai Matrushakti Yojana’. Under this scheme, zero-fare tickets were issued to women aged 60 years and above on transport corporation buses.
They said 32.47 lakh women who travelled on August 28 included this group as well.
UPSRTC General Manager (Operations) Anil Kumar said the Uttar Pradesh Transport Corporation had made extensive preparations in anticipation of the passenger rush during Raksha Bandhan.
He said measures included operating the maximum possible number of buses, deploying additional staff at major bus stations, and closely monitoring passenger convenience.
Raksha Bandhan is observed with sisters tying a rakhi around their brothers’ wrists, symbolising affection, trust and the bond between siblings. PTI NAV ASD ASD
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