Bhubaneswar: Women passengers will be able to travel free of cost on Ama Bus services across seven cities in Odisha on August 27 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, as part of an initiative aimed at promoting safe, affordable and inclusive public transport.
The Comprehensive Region Urban Transport (CRUT) announced the special facility following the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and under the guidance of Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra.
The free travel facility will be available on all Ama Buses operating in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Keonjhar. CRUT expects more than one lakh women passengers to benefit from the initiative during the day.
According to CRUT, the initiative is intended to make public transport more accessible to women while supporting their social and economic mobility. By removing the travel cost for a day, the programme is also expected to encourage greater use of public transport among women.
Ama Bus services have been equipped with several measures aimed at ensuring safer and more reliable journeys. These include GPS-based bus tracking, CCTV surveillance, trained bus personnel and passenger assistance systems.
CRUT Managing Director Siddik Alam said the initiative reinforces the organisation’s commitment to providing women with safe, affordable and dignified mobility.
Despite the waiver of fares, women passengers will be required to obtain a ‘Zero Ticket’ before travelling. CRUT has advised passengers to cooperate with bus staff and follow proper passenger etiquette to ensure smooth operations and a comfortable journey for everyone.
The initiative is being rolled out across all seven Ama Bus service cities for the Raksha Bandhan celebration, giving women an opportunity to use public transport without paying a fare while travelling safely and conveniently.
