The Uttar Pradesh government's free bus travel scheme for women during Raksha Bandhan is expected to benefit approximately 75 lakh passengers by midnight on Sunday. This initiative, spearheaded by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has significantly increased bus usage across the state, drawing praise from women who say it empowers them by making travel more accessible.
The free bus travel offer was available from August 8th to August 10th and also included free travel for one co-traveler accompanying each woman. The Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) estimates that up to 70% of passengers are taking advantage of the scheme. On August 8th, the first day of the offer, 19.5 lakh passengers utilized the free bus service. That number increased to 31.7 lakh on August 9th.
The Raksha Bandhan Free Bus Scheme has set a new record for ridership this year. To manage the increased passenger volume, additional buses were deployed, including all contractual buses. Special duty staff were also stationed at major bus stations such as Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh, Kanpur, and Etawah. Furthermore, an incentive program was introduced for drivers and conductors, offering ₹1,200 for completing 1,800 kilometers of operation, with an additional ₹0.55 per kilometer for those working continuously for six days.
This is the ninth consecutive year that the Uttar Pradesh government has offered free bus travel for women on Raksha Bandhan, making it a cherished annual tradition. What began in 2017 has now benefitted over 1.23 crore women, with the state transport department having spent ₹101.42 crore on the initiative. In 2024, nearly 20 lakh women were expected to benefit from the free travel service over the three-day period.
The popularity of the initiative has steadily grown since its inception, from 11 lakh beneficiaries in 2017 to nearly 20 lakh in 2024. The highest turnout was in 2023, with 29.29 lakh women availing of the free travel. In 2024, 19,78,403 women traveled free of charge, with the state bearing ₹19.87 crore in ticket expenses. In 2023, 29,29,755 women benefitted at a cost of ₹27.66 crore. 22,32,322 women used the facility in 2022, amounting to ₹18.98 crore, while in 2021, 9,63,466 women availed the service at an expenditure of ₹8.91 crore. 2020 saw 7,36,605 beneficiaries, with the government covering ₹4.82 crore in travel expenses. In 2019 and 2018, 12,04,085 and 11,69,226 women respectively travelled free, with the cost to the government being ₹7.68 crore and ₹7.41 crore. During the first year of the scheme, 2017, 11,16,332 women benefitted at a cost of ₹6.08 crore.
Other states like Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh have also implemented similar free bus service initiatives for women during Raksha Bandhan.
