Bhubaneswar: Women passengers will be able to travel free on Ama Bus services across seven Odisha cities on Friday, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
The Comprehensive Region Urban Transport (CRUT) announced the initiative as per the direction of the chief minister and under the guidance of Housing and 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 in a single day.
The initiative aims to provide women with safe, convenient and affordable public transport while promoting inclusive mobility. It is also expected to support women’s social and economic mobility by making public transport more accessible.
Ama Bus services have several safety and passenger assistance features, including GPS-based bus tracking, CCTV surveillance and trained bus staff.
CRUT Managing Director Siddik Alam said the initiative further strengthens CRUT’s commitment to providing women with safe, affordable and dignified mobility.
However, women passengers must obtain a ‘Zero Ticket’ to use the free travel facility. CRUT has also urged passengers to cooperate with bus staff and maintain proper passenger etiquette for smooth travel.
The initiative will allow women across the seven cities to use Ama Bus services without paying a fare on Raksha Bandhan.
