Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flags off free bus service for women across Jammu and Kashmir

SRINAGAR: In a landmark move towards gender-inclusive mobility, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today flagged off the Zero-Ticket Travel Initiative (free bus service) for women of Jammu and Kashmir from the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC). The initiative, fulfilling a key budget announcement, ensures free travel for women in all Smart City e-buses and J&K Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses across the Union Territory.

Before the official flag-off, the Chief Minister also inaugurated Zero-Ticket Travel for schoolgirls, underscoring the government’s commitment to accessible and safe transportation for young students. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted that this initiative is more than just a welfare measure—it is a bold step towards women’s empowerment and inclusive development.

“Starting today, women across Jammu and Kashmir will travel free of cost in all Smart City and SRTC buses. This isn’t just about affordability; it’s about accessibility, safety, and creating an environment where women feel empowered to travel freely. Our vision is to make J&K a model of inclusive growth where no woman is held back due to mobility constraints,” he said.

The Chief Minister also referred to his Budget Speech, in which he had announced free ridership for women in government transport, including Smart City e-buses. “During the budget, we made a special announcement for women that our RTC buses and Smart City e-buses would be free to use after 1st April. Today, we started the service with the hope that it will be easier for them to travel, whether it is for education, shopping, work or sightseeing,” Omar Abdullah said.

“We hope that they will be able to travel all over Jammu and Kashmir in a safe environment,” he remarked. The scheme, which was first announced on March 7 during the Chief Minister’s Budget Speech, is part of a broader series of pro-women and pro-poor initiatives aimed at fostering social and economic empowerment.

Accompanying the Chief Minister at the launch event were Minister for Social Welfare Sakeena Itoo, Minister for Transport Satish Sharma, Advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Zadibal Tanveer Sadiq, along with senior government officials, including Commissioner Secretary Housing & Urban Development, Transport Commissioner J&K, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (who is also CEO Srinagar Smart City Limited), Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and Managing Director State Road Transport Corporation.