Kejriwal announces free bus and metro rides for women in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced free travel for women on all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses, cluster buses and Delhi Metro trains. The decision follows the heavy defeat his Aam Aadmi Party suffered in the Lok Sabha election, with Delhi Assembly polls due early next year.

How the scheme would work

Kejriwal told a press conference that public transport was considered the safest option for women, and that high fares kept many of them from using it. The subsidy would not be forced on anyone: women who can afford to pay are encouraged to keep buying tickets so others can benefit.

He said officials had been given a week to prepare a detailed proposal for both DTC and the Metro on how and when it could be implemented. Rejecting criticism that this was a poll gimmick, he said the government did not need the Centre’s permission because it was not raising fares, only offering a subsidy that Delhi would fund. If the scheme starts in September, it would cost about Rs 700-800 crore for the rest of the year, he estimated. He said the Centre had earlier turned down Delhi’s request not to raise Metro fares and to share the cost of a subsidy 50-50.

Capacity and safety

Kejriwal dismissed fears of overcrowding. The Metro was designed for 40 lakh riders after Phase III, he said; about 28 lakh used it in March 2017 before fares went up, and around 25 lakh do now. About 8 lakh are women, so even a 10 percent rise would add only around a lakh passengers.

He also said close to 3 lakh CCTV cameras would be installed across Delhi. A tender for 1.5 lakh cameras has been passed, a survey for 60,000 of them completed, installation would begin on June 8, and a proposal for 1,40,000 more would be cleared this month, taking the total to 2,80,000. He added that 3,000 buses would be inducted within a year. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia called public transport an investment in people’s welfare.

What happened next

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly election, the Aam Aadmi Party won 62 seats and the BJP 8, and Kejriwal remained Chief Minister.

See also: Aam Aadmi Party.

Originally published on 3 June 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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