Hyderabad, March 29 The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) announced on Sunday that it had issued over 290 crore "zero tickets" under the "Mahalakshmi" scheme (free bus travel for women), which enabled women passengers to save approximately Rs 10,000 crore on travel expenses.
The "Mahalakshmi" scheme, under which women can travel free of cost on state-run Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses, was launched on December 9, 2023.
"Under the 'Mahalakshmi' scheme, 290 crore 'zero tickets' were issued to women travelers across Telangana," said TGSRTC Vice Chairman and Managing Director Y Nagi Reddy in a statement.
Earlier, women, who previously spent an average of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per month on transport fares, are now saving that amount, and the total savings across the state have reached Rs 10,000 crore, Reddy said.
After the implementation of the scheme, the share of women passengers on RTC buses rose to over 67 percent from 40 percent previously, and an average of more than 35 lakh women are safely reaching their destinations every day, the official said.
The state government has been reimbursing the RTC for the "Zero Ticket" scheme.
