- The Jammu & Kashmir government has introduced the Zero-Ticket Travel Scheme
- The scheme offers free bus travel to women, including schoolgirls
- It is designed to support accessibility, safety, and empowerment for women also reduces financial burdens on women and their families
The Jammu & Kashmir government has launched its new Zero-Ticket Travel Scheme, which allows free bus travel for women, including schoolgirls. The objective is to improve accessibility, safety, and empowerment by relieving economic pressure on women to be more educated and more independent throughout the region.
The Zero-Ticket Travel Scheme is an initiative by the Jammu & Kashmir government that identifies and clears barriers – as the name suggests, Zero-Ticket Travel offers all women and schoolgirls free bus travel. Launched by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the first-of-its-kind initiative allows women free travel on Smart City e-buses and Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses.
Omar announced the program in March during his budget speech; the purpose of the scheme is to eliminate barriers of mobility for women, removing costs, saving time, and creating accessible, safe options for independent travel and movement. At the launch event at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Abdullah said that this political development is not simply about the cost of travel- it is about creating a safe and accessible environment for women.
The ultimate objective of the initiative is to allow women to have the freedom to engage in education and employment, and participate in life as they wish, free from the burdens of cost to their daily movement, which Omar said is consistent with their assigned role as women. When the program is launched, the plan to provide free travel to schoolgirls had already begun, even prior to the launch of the program, demonstrating a commitment to supporting education by reducing all barriers that might prevent young female students from accessing transportation.
Omar eliminated fear over its financial support, assuring that it will not burden transport services. As its funding will be from the state's budget, both JKRTC and Smart City buses are expected to continue operating as before, without losing money. The CM's budget speech on March 7, 2023, introduced this initiative as a specific measure to fulfill a long-standing commitment to women and other economically weak groups.
By removing costs associated with transportation, the government is likely reducing the barriers women face to engage in school, work, shopping, and broader community life in Kishtwar. Supporting women's mobility in travel represents another incremental yet significant gain for gender equity and quality of life in Jammu and Kashmir.
