Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said his government proposes to make metro and bus travel free for women in the national capital. The proposal will be implemented within 2-3 months, he said.
The move comes ahead of the assembly elections scheduled early next year.
“Women will be given free rides in DTC, cluster buses and the Delhi Metro. The government will bear their travel expenses,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.
For the remaining part of this financial year, the cost of this comes to Rs 700-800 crore, he said.
Kejriwal said he has asked officials to study the proposal. The government has also sought feedback from the public.
Officers have been given a week to prepare a detailed report after which a proposal will be brought in the cabinet, he said.
The step will not lead to congestion in the Delhi Metro, as the daily ridership will increase by just one lakh. Currently, 25 lakh people travel by metro daily, he said.
He also said that his government accords top priority to women safety and has passed a tender to install 1.50 lakh CCTV cameras across the city.
“A survey for 70,000 CCTVs has been completed and these will be installed by December. A proposal for another 1.40 lakh cameras in under consideration,” he said.
As many as 1.50 lakh CCTV cameras will be installed in government-run schools by November, Kejriwal added.
At a public meeting on Saturday, the chief minister had said his government was considering to make metro and bus travels free for women in Delhi “to encourage them to use public transport“.
Kejriwal had also said his government is in touch with city’s power regulator to bring down fixed charge component of electricity bill.
Our bureau adds
The decision to make Metro travel free for women is going to bring them back into the safety fold of the Delhi Metro according to a Frequently Asked Questionnaire shared by the Delhi government.
“As of now only 33 per cent of Metro commuters are women. The fare hike last year hit women the worst forcing them to shift to more unsafe modes of transport like private buses, ride sharing, or even walking. This move will help them return to the Metro's safety. More women in any public spaces automatically makes those spaces safer for women. This move will help women reclaim public spaces,” the FAQ said.
The Delhi government said that this move will not be a financial or logistical burden on the Delhi metro. “The ticket revenue lost by Delhi Metro will be reimbursed fully by the Delhi government. DMRC will not suffer at all because of this. When Phase 3 was planned, the estimated capacity was 40 lakhs ridership daily. But at the moment only 25 lakh commuters are using it, which is 15 lakh less than capacity,” the FAQ said.
The Delhi government also said that while men may also need financial assistance, but they have other alternatives that don’t compromise their safety. For example, men have the option of taking two wheelers to work or using ride sharing apps without concern for their safety.”