The public transport authority of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has offered free rides to female commuters on March 8, which is celebrated as International Women's Day every year.
The free bus ride scheme
The MBMC had started the free bus ride scheme in 2021. As per official statistics, just 11,552 women travellers could enjoy free rides in 2021 due to the second Covid-19 wave coupled with travel restrictions. However, 21,463 and 25,838 female commuters availed of the free facility on March 8 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The initiative has cost the civic body Rs1,43,995 (2021), Rs2,73,786 (2022) and Rs3,09,618 (2023).
“This is a small gesture of appreciation by the civic administration to celebrate International Women’s Day. Buses plying on all routes will be free for women,” said municipal commissioner Sanjay Katkar.
Presently, the civic administration has a total of 79 buses in its fleet, which include regular, AC Volvos and Midis, operating on 20 routes. As the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Transport (MBMT) authority is gradually adding more buses to its existing fleet, services have reached out to more parts in and out of the twin-city.
Surge in ridership
While the number of commuters travelling on a single day has reached around 97,000 (including pass holders), the daily collections hover above Rs9.5 lakh. The MBMC has implemented a wet leased gross cost contract model under which two private agencies have been roped in to operate the public transport system. Under the model, buses are owned, maintained, and driven by a private contractor who also pays for fuel (charging) in exchange for a fixed per-km rate and generates income through advertisements. MBMC only deploys conductors to collect revenue through ticket sales.
As the ridership is witnessing a significant surge, every passing day, the civic administration projects the figures to cross 1.25 lakh in the coming months.
