India, Nov. 9 -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul seems to have dealt a blow to New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's pre-poll promise even before he took office. Hochul was asked about the free bus plan which Mamdani had pitched as one of his signature policy proposals in the run-up to the elections.

The Democrat governor clearly stated that she could not set forth a plan to that end right now. "I cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways," she said. However, Hochul added that they could try and find a path towards making them more affordable for people who need it.

In 2024, MTA was going through a funding crunch and it turned out that fare evasion was in...