Free bus ride scheme, a tried and tested formula to woo women voters?

Political parties in South India vie for women voters by offering free bus rides, a popular empowerment strategy.

Political parties in election fray are eager to see women hopping on the State Road Transport Corporation buses for free, as it has apparently emerged as a tried and tested formula to bag the women vote bank.

Following Tamil Nadu, the Congress government in Karnataka replicated the scheme and called it Shakti, which aims to empower women financially by providing them mobility free of cost. Close on the heels of Karnataka’s ‘Shakti’ came ‘Mahalakshmi’, a zero-ticket scheme launched for women by the Chief Minister of Telangana, A. Revanth Reddy.

The latest to join the proponents of ‘free-bus-ride-for-women empowerment’ crusade is the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh. The proposal was first announced by party president N. Chandrababu Naidu in May, 2023, when he released a seven-point mini election manifesto ‘Bhavishyathaku Guarantee’ (guarantee to a bright future), 11 months ahead of the elections. His son and the party’s national general secretary Nara Lokesh has also been speaking about the scheme in his election meetings.

In what was seen by many as an act to pre-empt the opposition party’s move, the ruling YSRCP briefly contemplated introducing the ‘free-ride-for-women’ scheme some time, back in January this year, to woo women voters.

Sources said that top officials from the Finance Department held discussions with the A.P. State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) officials on the financial implications of the proposal. The officials are said to have calculated all the options to see how much of a financial burden would fall on the SRTC if the government goes ahead with its proposal. However, the plan had to be dropped after the government realised that it was not financially feasible to implement.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu, while interacting with women at Gudur in Tirupati district on April 20 (Saturday), on the occasion of his birthday, said they would be provided free travel in RTC buses in the State. Though Mr. Naidu has not yet specified the finer details of the scheme, it has spread happiness among women in the State.

Tamil Nadu’s free bus service scheme, launched in mid-2021, does not include all buses. Women can travel free only in ordinary buses plying in that State. Karnataka began the scheme in June 2023 and it is valid across all the categories of buses, except AC Volvo and is limited to women who can show proof of domicile. Telangana had implemented the free ride scheme from December 9, 2023, allowing women to travel free in TSRTC-operated non-luxury buses anywhere within the State.