Andhra Pradesh Women Embrace Free Bus Travel Scheme Amid Implementation Challenges
In a move aimed at empowering women and easing their daily commute, the Andhra Pradesh government’s ‘Stree Shakti’ scheme, offering free bus travel for women, has witnessed an overwhelming response. Hundreds of thousands of women have already availed themselves of the benefit, transforming public transport dynamics across the state. While widely lauded for its social impact, the sheer scale of the initiative is now posing considerable operational and logistical challenges for the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), as it grapples with increased demand and fleet management. [2, 3]