A survey of 3,000 regular women bus users in six Tamil Nadu cities has thrown up an overall win-win-win outcome for all concerned — users, transport corporation and the wider economy. The scheme involves a redistribution of tax funds, and its results demonstrate direct and indirect benefits for all, and actual financial gain for the transport corporations, not a loss as many perceive.
The key result as per the survey carried out by the Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) is enhanced cost-free mobility for women and resultant monthly savings of Rs 400 reported by two-thirds of beneficiaries; 18% savings of Rs 801 to Rs 1,000 pm, which went towards food and education expenses.The survey was carried out in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvarur and Tirunelveli.
Positive as it is, the DMK govt’s free fare scheme has provoked a minority of negative reactions, some for political reasons, but largely due to a poor understanding of outcomes. There is also a negative perception due to crowding in the free-for-women buses caused by lack of fleet expansion in transport corporations, particularly for Chennai. Only 50% of Chennai’s MTC buses (1,500) are free for women. Many are in disrepair.
What is less visible is the gain to MTC from the scheme, perceived to be a drain on the corporation’s resources. The govt compensates transport corporations at Rs 16 per free ticket, CAG says, translating to significant revenue. The assumption is that the ‘zero fare’ ticket for women can be used end-to-end on a route, and the govt compensation meets that full fare. Accounted for thus, the narrative of loss to the corporation and the argument of fare-paying male passengers subsidising women are unfounded.
Subsidy comes from general taxation, as it does for other welfare such as the universal PDS. MTC managing director Alby John recently said more people were travelling by buses after the new scheme was introduced, and the corporation’s revenue had risen, with a subsidy element of Rs 1,422 crore from 88.87 crore trips by beneficiaries.
Other spin-offs from women’s free travel include the use of public transport by men who travel with women family members on the same ‘pink’ bus, reducing congestion and cost. Women are also more able to travel longer distances without extra expenditure, access employment, run errands, ferry children to school and back, and, in some cases, seek healthcare that might have otherwise not been utilised. Just 30% of the respondents said they had ‘no income’, while 328 earned Rs 5,000 and below and 898 made Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000. Only six respondents reported incomes above Rs 1 lakh indicating that the quality of bus travel needs to improve to draw in new, more affluent riders.
These are familiar gains provided by a well-run public transport system anywhere, which Tamil Nadu has made free for women, transgender people and persons with disability, giving a subsidy of Rs 6,788 crore. Hostile bus design, however, prevents the disabled from utilising the buses more.
TN’s fare-free travel for women, centred around cities, is more elegantly designed than similar schemes in other states, as it eliminates transactional barriers. All women get a ‘zero fare’ ticket to travel any length on the route without the need for an identity card. It is akin to Delhi’s scheme, the CAG study says. Karnataka and Punjab, CAG reports, require identification (Karnataka also requires proof of domicile). This barrier reduces the possibility of less affluent women, particularly migrant workers without scope for identification in a new city utilising the scheme, diminishing its efficacy.
The future pathway for TN’s scheme would depend on eliminating bottlenecks that have constrained bus operations. Chennai’s MTC fleet remains virtually static at about 3,500 buses, about half classified as ordinary services, while several buses are not operated daily for technical reasons and lack of crew. As of May 2023, there were 504 vacancies for drivers, 75 for conductors and 246 in technical departments. It is unclear if all these have been filled, and transport unions highlighted the issue of vacancies when they proposed to strike work in January.
The CAG proposed a solution to crowding by making all services free for women, not just the ordinary ones, thus levelling out passengers across deluxe, express and ordinary services. Fleet augmentation to meet the norms of the Union housing ministry, at 60 buses per one lakh population translates into 5,300 buses for Chennai and its suburbs — and adequate service in all geographical areas remains a critical issue.
Chennai’s MTC has shrunk services on several inner city routes, preferring to connect suburban termini along arterial roads. Residential localities have been neglected, and often lack walkable bus access. This has spurred the rise of thousands of share autorickshaws. Free connector services to suburban train services and metro stations would help working women who travel by train from neighbouring districts and want quick connections to workplaces. Similar efforts are needed in all cities and towns.
The ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ free-fare travel scheme for women provides a base on which future welfarist public transport can be built by regulator Chennai unified metropolitan transport authority (Cumta). Technology to map travel behaviour holds the key. Digital initiatives to ‘tap in’ and ‘tap out’ of buses and other modes of transport (including free travel and fare collection) can help track peak travel demand and reduce choke points. Integration of buses, metro, suburban trains, share autos and regular autorickshaws requires a smart system that records and rewards public transport use. Such data can also help charge peak rates for vehicle parking in areas well-served by public modes. Real-time passenger information through an integrated app would help make full use of available facilities.
What stands out in the fare-free women’s travel scheme is its overall force-multiplier effect on the economy, giving greater opportunity and visibility for women in urban centres, raising employment and income levels, and restoring public transport’s place at the centre of sustainable mobility.
(The writer is a Chennai-based journalist)
Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com
The key result as per the survey carried out by the Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) is enhanced cost-free mobility for women and resultant monthly savings of Rs 400 reported by two-thirds of beneficiaries; 18% savings of Rs 801 to Rs 1,000 pm, which went towards food and education expenses.The survey was carried out in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvarur and Tirunelveli.
Positive as it is, the DMK govt’s free fare scheme has provoked a minority of negative reactions, some for political reasons, but largely due to a poor understanding of outcomes. There is also a negative perception due to crowding in the free-for-women buses caused by lack of fleet expansion in transport corporations, particularly for Chennai. Only 50% of Chennai’s MTC buses (1,500) are free for women. Many are in disrepair.
What is less visible is the gain to MTC from the scheme, perceived to be a drain on the corporation’s resources. The govt compensates transport corporations at Rs 16 per free ticket, CAG says, translating to significant revenue. The assumption is that the ‘zero fare’ ticket for women can be used end-to-end on a route, and the govt compensation meets that full fare. Accounted for thus, the narrative of loss to the corporation and the argument of fare-paying male passengers subsidising women are unfounded.
Subsidy comes from general taxation, as it does for other welfare such as the universal PDS. MTC managing director Alby John recently said more people were travelling by buses after the new scheme was introduced, and the corporation’s revenue had risen, with a subsidy element of Rs 1,422 crore from 88.87 crore trips by beneficiaries.
Other spin-offs from women’s free travel include the use of public transport by men who travel with women family members on the same ‘pink’ bus, reducing congestion and cost. Women are also more able to travel longer distances without extra expenditure, access employment, run errands, ferry children to school and back, and, in some cases, seek healthcare that might have otherwise not been utilised. Just 30% of the respondents said they had ‘no income’, while 328 earned Rs 5,000 and below and 898 made Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000. Only six respondents reported incomes above Rs 1 lakh indicating that the quality of bus travel needs to improve to draw in new, more affluent riders.
These are familiar gains provided by a well-run public transport system anywhere, which Tamil Nadu has made free for women, transgender people and persons with disability, giving a subsidy of Rs 6,788 crore. Hostile bus design, however, prevents the disabled from utilising the buses more.
TN’s fare-free travel for women, centred around cities, is more elegantly designed than similar schemes in other states, as it eliminates transactional barriers. All women get a ‘zero fare’ ticket to travel any length on the route without the need for an identity card. It is akin to Delhi’s scheme, the CAG study says. Karnataka and Punjab, CAG reports, require identification (Karnataka also requires proof of domicile). This barrier reduces the possibility of less affluent women, particularly migrant workers without scope for identification in a new city utilising the scheme, diminishing its efficacy.
The future pathway for TN’s scheme would depend on eliminating bottlenecks that have constrained bus operations. Chennai’s MTC fleet remains virtually static at about 3,500 buses, about half classified as ordinary services, while several buses are not operated daily for technical reasons and lack of crew. As of May 2023, there were 504 vacancies for drivers, 75 for conductors and 246 in technical departments. It is unclear if all these have been filled, and transport unions highlighted the issue of vacancies when they proposed to strike work in January.
The CAG proposed a solution to crowding by making all services free for women, not just the ordinary ones, thus levelling out passengers across deluxe, express and ordinary services. Fleet augmentation to meet the norms of the Union housing ministry, at 60 buses per one lakh population translates into 5,300 buses for Chennai and its suburbs — and adequate service in all geographical areas remains a critical issue.
Chennai’s MTC has shrunk services on several inner city routes, preferring to connect suburban termini along arterial roads. Residential localities have been neglected, and often lack walkable bus access. This has spurred the rise of thousands of share autorickshaws. Free connector services to suburban train services and metro stations would help working women who travel by train from neighbouring districts and want quick connections to workplaces. Similar efforts are needed in all cities and towns.
The ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ free-fare travel scheme for women provides a base on which future welfarist public transport can be built by regulator Chennai unified metropolitan transport authority (Cumta). Technology to map travel behaviour holds the key. Digital initiatives to ‘tap in’ and ‘tap out’ of buses and other modes of transport (including free travel and fare collection) can help track peak travel demand and reduce choke points. Integration of buses, metro, suburban trains, share autos and regular autorickshaws requires a smart system that records and rewards public transport use. Such data can also help charge peak rates for vehicle parking in areas well-served by public modes. Real-time passenger information through an integrated app would help make full use of available facilities.
What stands out in the fare-free women’s travel scheme is its overall force-multiplier effect on the economy, giving greater opportunity and visibility for women in urban centres, raising employment and income levels, and restoring public transport’s place at the centre of sustainable mobility.
(The writer is a Chennai-based journalist)
Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com