After Metro Announcement, CM Kejriwal Announces Free Bus Rides

As a Rakshabandhan &lsquogift&rsquo, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced free bus rides for women in the city from October 29, the same day as " bhai dooj&rdquo celebrations. At his Independence Day speech at the capital he said that this move comes as an effort to ensure increased safety for women. &ldquoOn the day of Raksha Bandhan, I want to give (a) gift to our sisters that there will be free rides for women on all DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) and cluster buses from October 29, which will ensure their safety,&rdquo said CM Kejriwal, according to PTI. 

As per to this plan, women in Delhi can avail free services on DTC and cluster buses. Those who can afford the ticket, however, are encouraged to pay for the same.

In June, considering the upcoming Assembly elections in 2020, CM Kejriwal announced upcoming free metro rides for the women of Delhi. However, this move soon hit a hurdle when the Centre (a 50 percent owner of the metro services) opposed the attempt, challenging the financial feasibility. Since the bus services are under the state&rsquos control, AAP government is expected to make this move a success. The government is expected to incur a cost of 700 crore rupees to ensure successful implementation. 

AAP has made considerable attempts after the loss of all seven seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, after maintaining control since 2015.