Hyderabad: Congress MLC and NSUI state president Venkat Balmoor traveled in state-run public transport to assess women’s travel convenience. He interacted with female commuters, gathering feedback on the Mahalakshmi free bus scheme, which offers cost-free travel for women and transgender individuals on non-AC buses. Venkat boarded the bus at Nampally and disembarked at the Assembly bus stop, interacting with passengers along the way.
Between December 9, 2023, and February 6, 2024, approximately 15.21 crore women availed themselves of Telangana government’s free travel scheme on TSRTC buses, resulting in savings of about Rs 535 crore.
Launched by the Congress-led state government, the Mahalakshmi scheme has notably increased bus occupancy and daily revenue for TSRTC. The initiative applies to various bus categories without distance limitations, requiring valid residency identification for eligibility. While well-received, occasional overcrowding issues have been reported. Eligibility is limited to female residents of Telangana, who must present valid identification for issuance of zero-fare tickets.
