Now Reading: Raksha Bandhan: free Ama Bus travel for women in 7 Odisha cities
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Raksha Bandhan: free Ama Bus travel for women in 7 Odisha cities
Women in seven Odisha cities can travel free on Ama Buses on Raksha Bandhan, CRUT announced on Tuesday. The free-fare facility will operate on all Ama Bus services in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri,…
Women in seven Odisha cities can travel free on Ama Buses on Raksha Bandhan, CRUT announced on Tuesday. The free-fare facility will operate on all Ama Bus services in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Berhampur and Keonjhar. The scheme is expected to benefit over one lakh women passengers.
CRUT said the initiative aims to provide safe, convenient and affordable public transport and improve women's social and economic mobility. The buses are equipped with GPS tracking, CCTV surveillance and trained staff to enhance safety. The move comes amid passenger complaints about harassment and fare issues on Ama Bus routes.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The free-fare offer is a festival-season gesture by CRUT, which operates the Ama Bus fleet through a mix of state and private buses. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are the busiest corridors, free travel on Raksha Bandhan could push daily ridership well above normal. CRUT's own data, released in 2025, recorded 167 accidents involving Ama buses over the preceding 28 months, which prompted passenger calls for stricter safety measures. The state government, which funds CRUT through the Odisha Urban Transport Corporation, will weigh the scheme's cost against its political benefit. The next test will be whether the free rides are extended to other festivals or made permanent, as women's groups have demanded.
Source: odishatv.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
