FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR WOMEN 60+ IN UP .

1. The Proposal

Who: All women aged above 60 years in Uttar Pradesh

Where: UPSRTC buses - ordinary, ordinary express, Janrath etc. AC/Luxury buses likely excluded

What: 100% free travel - no fare to be paid

Status: Proposal sent for budget approval. CM Yogi Adityanath has publicly confirmed it multiple times

2. Budget & Numbers

Amount sought: ₹338 crore per year from the state govt to compensate UPSRTC

Why this amount: UPSRTC survey between Mar 2022 - Mar 2023 found:

∼18-20 lakh passengers travel in UPSRTC daily

∼33% are women

∼88,438 women above 60 travel daily = 7% of total passengers

∼1 lakh senior women travel daily as per another estimate

Earlier estimates for this scheme ranged from ₹260 crore to ₹800 crore/year 

3. How it will work

Special ID Card: Govt plans to issue special cards to eligible women to maintain records and prevent misuse

Proof needed: Likely Aadhaar + Age proof. Official guidelines not out yet

Implementation: Will start after the Government Order (GO) is issued post budget approval . 

4. Political Context

Promise: This was part of BJP’s 2022 Sankalp Patra manifesto: “We will provide free travel to all women above 60 in public transport in Uttar Pradesh”

Why now: Govt is accelerating pending 2022 promises ahead of 2027 UP Assembly elections

CM’s statement: Yogi Adityanath said “We are planning to allow free transportation to sisters and mothers above the age of 60 in the state transport corporation buses very soon” 

5. Other Women-Friendly Schemes Already Running

Raksha Bandhan: 48 hours free travel for ALL women in UPSRTC buses. Last year ∼75 lakh women used it

Total: Over 1 crore women have availed Raksha Bandhan free travel since 2017 

6. What’s Next

Budget approval - ₹338 cr allocation needs to pass

GO issuance - Detailed rules on eligibility, card, routes

Rollout - Expected in 2026, before 2027 polls

Important: This is still a proposal. It’s not active yet. UPSRTC is waiting for the final budget + GO.