TIL that in india , public transportation especially bus is free of cost for women in many major provinces and many other provinces are planning to implement such schemes soon.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/how-many-states-in-india-provide-year-round-free-bus-travel-for-women-check-full-list-here-2025-10-23-1014041
99 points · 16 comments · view on lemmy.world
16 Comments
HubertManne@piefed.social · 35 pts · 176d
Why the heck do they not just make it free overall or at least for residents?
Aeao@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 176d
Where I live it is free. For everyone. Also they’ll pick you up or drop you off anywhere. You just raise your hand and hail them like a cab.
I’m not suggesting we do away with bus stops I’m just saying public transportation should be free.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 2 pts · 176d
its not uncommon for busses to drop off at next intersection type thing if you ring the bell but pickup is only at designated spaces (unless you are lucky enough that somone decided to get off where you are at). I actually live not far from a suburb with free busses and I kinda would like to live there but I would more like to live in the denser more public transit heavy city metro. I will say for my city the cost is very reasonable and integrated. Once you pay a fair you can transfer twice at no fee between anything and there are train stations where you can move to another line and it would not take up a transfer token. Its like inching from 2 to 3 bucks but I have seen places over 5 and no free transfers.
Aeao@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 167d
It should be free. I’d rather my taxes go to your train fare than bombing Iran.
It should be free. Everywhere. They talk about “trickle down economics “ make public transportation free and watch that trickle up. Not that I support big business I’m just saying.
FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 176d
Makes me wonder if it was done to reduce/prevent sexual assault, i know that India and Japan introduced woman-only train carriages, and the UK was debating it. Therefore if they made buses free for everyone (which would be logical and threading the needle in its own way) they would be seen as reintroducing the problem they sought to mitigate in the first place.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 4 pts · 176d
Yeah seems an odd way to do it. The woman only train cars or busses make sense but this does not in any way prevent men from being in their space.
ComradeMiao@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 176d
Women only train cars in Japan are only specific times. The times must be brief must I’ve never seen them as women only in my daily commute
WGKKWGKF@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 176d
Many provinces/states in india provide free public transportation especially bus and metro rides for women. Major motivations behind this initiative include :
1)providing women better access to public spaces, Female labour force participation in India has seen a significant increase, rising to 41.7% in 2023–24 from 23.3% in 2017–18. Government schemes have given positive results in increasing labour participation of women in workforce
2)to promote education, and employment for women
3)helps women to come forward in public spaces and contribute to the indian economy
Major criticism aganist this initiative:-
1)major criticism comes from lower caste dalit men organisation who claim that this actively discriminate large number of lower caste dalit men who earn $510.80 USD annually whereas it benefits Uppercaste women who owns large amount of wealth via ancestral land and working Uppercaste women earns more annual salary than lower caste men.
Inorder to solve the grievance of lowercaste men , some states like tamilnadu in india is planning to give free bus ride for low income earning men .
2)some critics consider that giving freebies harm the economy negatively
teft@piefed.social · 13 pts · 176d
Just make it free for everyone and skip the headache. Means testing is almost always a money loser, not earner.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 5 pts · 176d
yeah ultimately it just adds a lot of beuracracy. I mean the only benefit is as a jobs program for folks who like big government.
panda_abyss@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 176d
It seems like people will keep arguing until they just make busses free.
Makhno@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 176d
Can I get a "poor men can fuck themselves"?
/s
blitzen@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 176d
Don’t think the /s is necessary.
WGKKWGKF@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 176d
Key State-Wise Initiatives
1)Delhi: Offers year-round free travel for women , recently extended and expanded to include transgender passengers with the "Pink Saheli" card system.
2)Tamil Nadu: The Zero Ticket Bus Travel Scheme permits women to travel free in government-run normal-fare buses (up to 30 km).
3)Karnataka: The Shakti scheme launched on June 11, 2023, provides free transport for women domiciled in the state on KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC buses.
4)Andhra Pradesh: The Stree Shakti Free Bus Travel Scheme promotes women's empowerment, with significant ridership.
5)Punjab: Provides free travel for women in state-run buses.
salty_chief@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 176d
Free so Women can go to police to report a SA. Probably.
WGKKWGKF@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 176d
salty_chief@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 166d
I don’t support Trump, he has his own money. 😂