After facing an unflattering defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s government set to work soon after the Model Code of Conduct was lifted the previous week.

 One ground-shattering announcement the party made was to make bus and metro rides free for women.

Kejriwal said at a press conference, “Women will be given free rides in Delhi Metro, DTC and cluster buses.”

The move comes as a means to ensure women travel safety, and to encourage women to travel by ‘safer’ public transport, he further said.

The expenses for the same would amount up to around 700-800 crore for this year, and will entirely be borne by his government, ensuring that the DMRC incurs no loss.

The idea at first sounds exhilarating to the women commuters who spend thousands on travel via public transport every month.

But not everyone views this as a welcoming step.

Free Rides For Women- A Yes Or A No

The Kejriwal led government faced a bitter defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing just one seat out of all the 40 that they contested in. This significant announcement by the Delhi government can be seen as an appeasement of women citizens ahead of the Assembly Polls early next year.

Ironically, the move has faced severe backlash from women themselves. Several women expressed their discontent on Twitter with the idea of travel being made free for them.



They questioned the very idea of the scheme. Most of the women commuters are financially privileged and in a position to afford the rides.

Making travel free-of-cost for them directly puts them on the receiving end of an unasked for charity, which raises the question of gender equality.

Making rides free for women does not practically mean that it makes travel by public transport safer for them. Women often have to take autos or rickshaws late in the evening/night to reach home from metro stations or bus stops.

This indeed is the ‘unsafe’ aspect of travelling for them, but has been overlooked.

Also, considering that most women using DTC buses or Delhi Metro are elite enough to afford them, it becomes unfair to incentivise travel for them when they are in a position to pay for it.

Wouldn’t it have been much better, had rides been made free for the economically weaker sections, for whom such travels bring a huge toll on the pockets?

Wouldn’t it be highly unfair if a pretty well-off Delhi girl travels for free, while an economically disadvantaged male has to pay for his travel?

Whatever the intentions of the Kejriwal government in introducing this move, as a 20-year-old Delhi girl, I view it with much apprehension.

The move re-iterates the idea of a modern woman as a “bechari nari”, whose ‘safety’ has to be ensured by means such as this.

The idea comes as a sheer blessing for women who are economically disadvantaged and find public transport unaffordable.

But making it free for ALL women, thumbs down for that.

I feel it would have been rather sensible to subsidize the rates than making it entirely free of cost.


Image Source : Google Images

Sources : India Today, The Economic Times, NDTV

Find the blogger @Rhetorician_rc


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4 COMMENTS

  1. the person who has wrote this article either is in denial or has no idea of ground reality.
    the move doesnt stop anyone from buying tickets.
    just get the percentage of economically fine ladies in delhi and then write another article mentioning the numbers. thousands of women travel in shared cabs(NOT OLA/UBER) and autos. moreover if the move promotes using of government facilities and cleaner energy whats wrong about it.
    this is what people pay their taxes for.
    every other party is involved in freebies, but what is offered is what matters.
    Don’t just write paragraphs just because you can write. Be credible.

    • Respected sir,
      I assure you that I have a thorough knowledge of the ground reality. Even if thousands of women travel by shared cabs, does that ensure their complete safety? If not, isn’t is the government’s responsibility to create a safe space for its people? And what about the other-than-those-thousand women?
      Sure the move promotes government facilities and cleaner energy, which is commendable and I haven’t objected against it.
      I don’t think we pay taxes to make our governments give us free services, but rather to have them create a safe and breathable environment for us to live in.
      Also, just as a kind clarification, I don’t write paragraphs just because I can. I write because I Have An Opinion.
      Plus, I sincerely feel I am very much credible. You may check the Very credible sources that I have cited in making my point.

      Thank you for reading the post so devotedly!

  2. Dear Sir,

    With all due respect, this is one of the best articles I have read this week. Finally I came across a writer who does know ground level reality. Your answers below:

    the person who has wrote this article either is in denial or has no idea of ground reality. — SHE ABSOLUTELY DOES… I WAS RECENTLY AT AN ORPHANAGE AND WAS REALLY STRUCKED BY A LINE FROM THE CHILD ” WE DONT WANT YOUR MONEY OR SYMPATHY, WE JUST NEED SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF TO TREAT US WITH RESPECT N LOVE LIKE OTHER KIDS OUTSIDE”. SAME WAY OUR WOMEN NEEDS TO BE SEEN AS AN EQUAL FIRST – IT DOESNT MATTER IF THEY ARE POOR OR NOT.
    the move doesnt stop anyone from buying tickets. – THE MOVE IS BIASED TOWARDS WOMEN, AND TO ME ITS ACTUALLY SAYING A POOR MAN IS NOW NOT AS EQUAL AS A POOR WOMAN.
    just get the percentage of economically fine ladies in delhi and then write another article mentioning the numbers. — REALLY? DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS? JUST LOOK ON SOCIAL PLATFORM WHAT YOUR ECONOMICAally FINE WOMEN ARE COMMENTING…thousands of women travel in shared cabs(NOT OLA/UBER) and autos. moreover if the move promotes using of government facilities and cleaner energy whats wrong – SHOW ME ONE RICH COUNTRY THAT ALLOWS THIS… EVEN USA ENCOURAGES CITIZEN BELOW POVERTY LINE TO ACTUALLY EARN MORE RATHER THAN PROVIDING FREE STUFF LIKE THIS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN “NO FREE FOOD MENTALITY”. IF SOMEONE IS POOR YOU BUILD THEIR SELF ESTEEM BY PROVIDING NECESSARY TOOLS AND RESOURCES SO THEY CAN Eventually AFFORD THE BUS FAIR. YOU DONT DIRECTLY TARGET THEIR POVERTY TO WIN ELECTIONS.
    this is what people pay their taxes for. — ABSOLUTELY NOT. LETS SAY OUR SOLDIERS ARE GIVEN BETTER BENEFITS AND IN TURN THEY HELP US TO PROTECT OUR SISTERS AND MOTHERS AFTER 10:00 PM. EVEN IF TRANSPORT IS FREE ARE OUR WOMEN SAFE? LOOK AT OTHER STATES LIKE GUJARAT WHERE EVEN AT 2:00 AM THE GIRL CAN TRAVEL 50+ KMS IN AHMEDABAD WITHOUT FEAR. THIS IS WHAT TAX MONEY IS FOR.
    every other party is involved in freebies, but what is offered is what matters. — THIS CLEARLY SHOWS YOUR POLITICAL MENTALITY AND YOU ARE COMPLETELY FORGETTING WHATS ACTUALLY GOOD FOR THE NATION. WHICH OTHER PARTY? SHOW ME ONE EXAMPLE. THOSE DAYS ARE GONE MY FRIEND. THIS IS NEW INDIA.
    Don’t just write paragraphs just because you can write. Be credible. — AS MENTIONED BEFORE I THINK THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE… RATHER THAN PERSONALLY ATTACKING SOMEONE YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF SUPPORTING SUCH A BIASED LOW LEVEL THINKING OF THAT JOKER.

    • Dear Sir,
      Firstly, thank you so much for reading the post with such a lot of attention, for the kind appreciation and for defending my argument.
      As you rightly said, it is equality that we women desire, not charity and alms. True, it undermines the position of a male poor with respect to a female poor and clearly gives the latter a privilege which both deserve equally.
      Not delving too far into the politics of the matter, I appreciate the move by the government, just am apprehensive whether it will have a positive impact on the women, for whom it is meant for in the first place.
      True, it is sad that people do not get the deeper implications of such a move and go ahead and rant their differing opinion in such a derogatory way. I respect all opinions, and in turn expect mine to be respected too similarly.

      Thanking you for respecting and backing my opinion sir!

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