Free Bus Travel for Women in Delhi and its impact

Updated: 3/22/2025
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Last Updated: 21 Jan 2025

World Bank report in 2022[1]

-- More women (45%) walk to work than men (27%) in India because they do not have access to affordable transport
-- This restricts Women's access to jobs located farther away and limits their job choices

IMPACT on Security & Savings
1> Saving of ₹3000 per family annually on an average[2]

2> More Sense of Security with almost Double Women rideship
-- 46% in 2023-24 from just 25% in 2020-21[3]
-- ~150 crore free women ridership till March 2024[4][5]
-- 45+ crore women passenger free rides in buses in 2023-24[5:1]

3> 24% rise in Women Employment: Independent Study in 2023 by Ashoka University[6]
-- 24% Increase in Employment Opportunities for women, most of them are Underprivileged

Free Bus travel for women started in October 2019[7] by AAP Govt in Delhi

Free Bus -> Women Empowerment

  • Women Security: More women presence in Buses = More Sense of Security
Year Women Ridership[3:1]
2020-21 25%
2021-22 28%
2022-23 33%
2023-24 46%
  • Encourage Women in Education/Work: Free mobility and convenience for women to encourage their participation in Delhi's labour force
  • Extra Money: Puts extra savings into the hands of women

Delhi Case Study:

"Participation of women in the workforce is a critical driver of social advancement and economic expansion. In the past, female labour force participation has remained below average due to a lack of opportunities to assist women's mobility"
-- Kailash Gahlot, Transport Minister, Delhi

Growing Network & Facilities

Positive women testimonies

“I had a student bus pass which cost me Rs 500 every semester, but there were students who would come infrequently to class because of the travel strain. I think attendance in classes can definitely improve with this,”
-- Deepmala (25), MA from Delhi University[7:1]

“For someone like me, spending Rs 40 every day to travel means a lot… I am going to save over Rs 1,000 a month,”
-- Leela [7:2]

“I would take Uber and Ola, but once it became free, I stopped taking any other mode of transportation. The same goes for my house help; the free rides have helped her immensely as she saves money on commuting,”
-- Monica (25), works in Embassy of Span[4:1]

“I wish there was a pink ticket in Uttar Pradesh buses too. Metro is expensive and I don’t take it at all. Even for health emergencies, I go to Delhi hospitals only because of the free ticket.”
-- Mubina Parveen (35), a factory worker living in Noida[4:2]

REFERENCES:

  1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/12/08/new-world-bank-toolkit-to-make-transport-and-public-spaces-in-india-more-gender-inclusive ↩︎

  2. https://ddc.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/multimedia-assets/report_impact_of_subsidy_in_delhi.pdf ↩︎

  3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/rise-in-women-utilizing-free-bus-passes-in-delhi/articleshow/114195186.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhis-100-crore-question-what-does-a-free-bus-ride-mean-woman-8519082/lite/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-over-45-crore-free-bus-trips-for-women-more-than-62l-old-vehicles-deregistered/articleshow/108151181.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. https://dp.ashoka.edu.in/ash/wpaper/paper105_0.pdf ↩︎

  7. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-govt-free-bus-rides-women-student-pink-tickets-dtc-6093509/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

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