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UP's free bus rides for women on Raksha Bandhan
This Raksha Bandhan, Uttar Pradesh's free bus rides for women made festival travel a breeze—over 50 lakh people hopped on board in just two days.
The scheme, called 'Samman Ka Tohfa,' ran from August 8 to 10, letting each woman bring one companion along for the ride.
Festival crowds meant numbers soared: 19.5 lakh rode free on August 8, and by the next day it jumped to nearly 32 lakh.
Extra busses hit the road to keep up with demand
Since starting in 2017, this initiative has helped over a crore women travel safely and affordably—especially those from rural or less privileged backgrounds.
To keep up with the rush, extra busses hit the roads and staff got bonuses for their hard work.
It's a small but meaningful step toward making public transport more inclusive during big celebrations.