📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Mennonite Church USA Archives
Local
Indore provides free 48-hour bus rides to over 56,000 women on Raksha Bandhan
✍️ Amar Ujala · Indore
🗓 29 Aug 2026, 03:37 PM
👁 5
On Raksha Bandhan, the AICTSL in Indore ran free bus services for women from 6 am on Aug 27 to 6 am on Aug 29, benefitting more than 56,000 passengers.
Indore’s public transport authority, AICTSL, launched a special free‑fare bus scheme for women to mark Raksha Bandhan. The service began at 6 a.m. on 27 August and ran continuously for 48 hours, ending at 6 a.m. on 29 August.
During the two‑day window, more than 56,000 women boarded the city’s buses without paying any fare. The initiative was promoted as a gesture of safety and empowerment, encouraging women to travel confidently across the city.
Officials said the buses operated on their regular routes, with drivers and conductors instructed to verify female passengers only for the purpose of the scheme. No additional charges were levied, and the free rides were limited to the specified period.
The program received positive feedback from commuters, who praised the city’s effort to support women’s mobility during the festive season. AICTSL plans to assess the response and consider similar gender‑focused services in the future.
During the two‑day window, more than 56,000 women boarded the city’s buses without paying any fare. The initiative was promoted as a gesture of safety and empowerment, encouraging women to travel confidently across the city.
Officials said the buses operated on their regular routes, with drivers and conductors instructed to verify female passengers only for the purpose of the scheme. No additional charges were levied, and the free rides were limited to the specified period.
The program received positive feedback from commuters, who praised the city’s effort to support women’s mobility during the festive season. AICTSL plans to assess the response and consider similar gender‑focused services in the future.