West Bengal Issues Guidelines for Women’s Free Bus Travel Scheme

Kolkata, May 2024: The West Bengal Transport Department has released detailed guidelines for women seeking to avail free travel on state-run buses under the newly announced public transport scheme of the Suvendu Adhikari-led government.

According to a notification issued on Thursday, women passengers must carry valid identity proof while travelling to benefit from the scheme, which is set to come into effect from June 1.

The state government said the move is aimed at ensuring that only eligible women residents of West Bengal receive the benefit of free bus rides. Women commuters will be required to show any one of the approved identity documents to the bus conductor while travelling.

The list of accepted documents includes Aadhaar card, EPIC or voter ID card, Grameen Rozgar Guarantee Card, Ayushman Bharat Health Card, driving licence, PAN card, passport, pension documents carrying a photograph, and service identity cards issued by the Central or State government, public sector undertakings, or public limited companies.

Students can also use official identity cards issued by schools, colleges or universities. In addition, any identity card issued by the Government of West Bengal with a recent photograph of the beneficiary will also be accepted.

The Transport Department stated that the government will eventually issue a dedicated smart card with a digital QR code to every eligible woman beneficiary. The smart card will carry the photograph and name of the beneficiary and can be obtained through an application submitted to the concerned Block Development Officer (BDO) or Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).

Until the smart cards are issued, women passengers can continue to use any of the approved photo identity documents to access the scheme.

The notification further clarified that bus conductors will issue a “Zero Value Ticket” or thermal paper ticket to women passengers after identity verification. The ticket will serve as proof that the passenger has availed the free travel benefit.

Officials said the scheme is designed to improve women’s mobility, encourage greater use of public transport and strengthen women’s empowerment by reducing daily travel expenses.

The free bus travel facility will be available only on state-run buses operating under the West Bengal government’s transport network.

The state government believes the initiative will particularly benefit working women, students, senior citizens and women from economically weaker sections who rely heavily on public transport for daily commuting.

The Transport Department has also appealed to commuters to cooperate with conductors and transport staff during the verification process to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme from its launch date next month.