The Stree Shakti Scheme, launched by the Andhra Pradesh government, has achieved remarkable success in its first month. Due to free travel for women, buses are crowded, making it difficult for male passengers to get seats.

Launched on August 15, under this scheme, by September 15, a total of 78,45,962 women traveled free on RTC buses across Krishna District. The government spent ₹23.69 crore to subsidize this initiative.

• NTR District: 51,57,863 women, ₹14.37 crore subsidy
• Krishna District: 26,88,099 women, ₹9.31 crore subsidy

The scheme has encouraged employees, students, and small traders to use RTC buses in large numbers. Particularly, buses from rural areas to towns like Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, and Gudivada are experiencing women occupancy rates of up to 80%.

Demand for Reserved Seats for Men

With increasing female ridership, male passengers are finding it difficult to get seats. In response, Narne Venkatasubbayya, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, has demanded that 50% of bus seats be reserved for men. This issue has now become a topic of active discussion.