Punjab transport dept struggles with rising costs of free bus travel for women

Chandigarh: The Punjab Transport Department is facing financial strain due to the free travel scheme for women in state-run buses. The scheme, which had an annual budget allocation of Rs 450 crore, has resulted in an expenditure of nearly Rs 800 crore for state transport agencies, including Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punbus, and Punjab Roadways.

According to official records, over 3 lakh women use the free bus travel facility daily, with around 11 crore beneficiaries recorded during the 2023-24 financial year.

Sources said additional budget allocations are being arranged through the social security and women and child development departments, but the transport department continues to push for more funds.

“The scheme is hurting the state transport agency as dues worth crores of rupees are yet to be cleared by the state government to the service providers,” a senior official said. As of last month, the government owed over Rs 700 crore in pending payments for the scheme, and the matter has been raised with the finance department.

The rise in women passengers using government buses has led to increased arrears and a decline in revenue from bus passes. The scheme was introduced in 2021 during the Congress-led government of Captain Amarinder Singh, allowing women to travel for free by presenting a valid Aadhaar card. Conductors enter the Aadhaar ID of beneficiaries into the electronic ticketing system.

The government is considering a proposal to introduce smart cards for women availing of the scheme to collect real-time data and better manage costs, a senior official said.