Naidu to take APSRTC bus on August 15 to mark one year of Stree Shakti

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will travel on an APSRTC bus on August 15 to mark one year of the Stree Shakti free bus scheme for women. The scheme has recorded 87 crore journeys and benefits 24 lakh women daily

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to travel on an APSRTC bus on Saturday, August 15 to mark the first anniversary of Stree Shakti, a free bus scheme for women. An average of 24 lakh women travel everyday under the scheme, with 87 crore journeys recorded since its launch, said an official press release on Friday. “He (CM) will travel by bus from the Parade Ground to the Chief Minister’s Camp Office along with beneficiaries of the Stree Shakti scheme,” it said.

Naidu will interact with women beneficiaries on Saturday as part of statewide programmes being organised under the theme ‘One Year of Stree Shakti’. Following the Independence Day celebrations, the CM will participate in the special programme. At the camp office, Naidu will have high tea with women beneficiaries and interact with them on the implementation of the scheme, the benefits they have received and their experiences.

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He will also seek their feedback and suggestions on the scheme. The government is providing a subsidy of Rs 8.53 crore per day towards women’s travel under Stree Shakti and in one year it spent Rs 3,095 crore, said the press release.

The scheme is being implemented under five categories of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses, which include the Express, Ultra Pallevelugu, Pallevelugu, Metro Express and City Ordinary. Out of APSRTC’s total fleet of 9,978 buses, 76 per cent are being utilised for the scheme. The government has also extended the facility to women travelling on special bus services operated to temples.

Before introducing ‘Stree Shakti,’ women accounted for 40 per cent of passengers travelling on APSRTC buses, which now increased to 62 per cent. The number of women travelling every day has also risen from 9.47 lakh to 24 lakh while occupancy on buses covered under the scheme has reached 93 per cent.

“The Stree Shakti scheme has not only reduced women’s travel expenses but has also supported their access to education, employment, healthcare, business and other essential needs,” said the press release. It proved particularly beneficial for women travelling to colleges, those commuting between villages and towns for small businesses, and those visiting places of worship, it said.

Women can travel anywhere within the state by simply showing their Aadhaar card, it said. “Officials have informed the government that road accidents in rural areas have declined significantly following the implementation of the scheme,” said the release.

The decline is attributed to the people reducing their dependence on shared autorickshaws and private vehicles and shifting to APSRTC buses, resulting in a “noticeable decline in road accidents”, said the press release.