Hyderabad, Nov. 1 -- The Mahalakshmi free bus scheme implemented in Telangana since December 2023 has reduced travel costs for women by 68 per cent, a joint study conducted by the Schools of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada and New Delhi has revealed.

As part of the study, researchers assessed responses from 410 women in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) who availed the scheme. Among these, 49 per cent of users were students, while around 63 per cent did not own a vehicle.

The average cost per trip reduced from Rs 30.4 to Rs 9.7. The share of women primarily using Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) buses increased from 43.8 per cent to 71.2 per cent.

Average trip distance increased from 7.5 km t...