50% bus fare discount is good but more needs to be done for women commuters
Over the weekend, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant spoke of the proposal to give a 50% concession on bus fares for women working in the private sector. Speaking at the launch of the Mhaji Bus Scheme 2025 in Sankhali on Saturday, and later in the evening at the GCCI annual meeting, he said the proposal is aimed at encouraging women to join the workforce by easing the burden of daily commute expenses.
It’s definitely a positive step for women and will go a long way in encouraging them to take up jobs, but women from rural areas working in industries will need much more on the employment front. Besides the transport issue, what they look forward to is a better salary. Women too need to be paid well. Generally, if wages are better, then out-migration will also reduce. For women, safety is also a matter of concern. The authorities will also have to take steps to make commuting, especially in buses during peak hours, safe for women in the state.
For an efficient bus system, the authorities will have to encourage more private bus owners to join the Mhaji Bus scheme. It’s only if more buses join the fleet that commuters will benefit. KTC has to purchase more buses if public transport is to be streamlined. According to commuters, more buses are required for the shuttle service on the Margao–Panaji route and many other rural routes.
Goa has been suffering for decades from very poor public transport. Not only tourists but locals too are victims of the failure of the government. Past governments hardly acted to address this issue. The present government showed firmness but developed cold feet at the last moment. After the Transport Department came out with the draft notification on the Goa Transport Aggregator Guidelines, commuters—especially women—complimented the government for moving in the right direction toward eliminating the traditional way of engaging a taxi. The commuters expected that Goa would soon have an app-based aggregator like Ola or Uber. But their hopes were shattered when the government stated that the draft guidelines were not for the entry of the big aggregators from outside the state. Such a system would have definitely helped working women—those with better jobs—commute via app-based taxis. Their experience with the bus system in rural areas is pathetic. App-based public transport is the new normal all over the world, so why should Goa be an exception?
The Chief Minister’s intention to reduce the bus fare by 50% for working women is to be appreciated, but what Goa—and particularly women commuters—needs is an app-based public transport system. The combination of late bus services and app-based public transport (including motorcycle ‘pilot’ services and autos) will change the commuting scene in Goa. This will help more women take up jobs in the private sector, including evening shifts.
On improving public transport, there are more public statements from the government, but the ground reality hasn’t changed much. Panaji may be an exception, where the KTC bus service is efficient. The government shouldn’t fear politically taking some hard decisions in the interest of commuters. The interest of taxi operators should also be protected—but not at the cost of the commuters. If needed, let a task force be in place to improve public transport in the state. Efficient public transport should be a top priority of the government.
