No fare, just ID proof: How West Bengal’s free bus travel scheme for women works from today
The Statesman | 2 June 2026
Women across West Bengal began travelling free on state-run buses from Monday as the newly launched welfare scheme came into force statewide, bringing immediate relief to thousands of daily commuters who spend a significant portion of their monthly income on transportation.
The initiative, one of the key promises made by the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections, is expected to benefit women travelling on both short and long-distance state-operated bus services. Authorities have put in place an interim verification process while a dedicated smart card system is being developed for beneficiaries.
For now, women seeking to avail the facility must carry any one of the identity documents approved by the state government. After verification, conductors are issuing a “zero-value” ticket instead of collecting fare.
Many passengers welcomed the move on its first day.
“It will definitely be convenient as we have to travel 50-60 kilometres every day. We pay Rs 8,500-9,000 a month for transport expenses, so if something becomes free here, it will be good for us,” a woman commuter said.
According to directions issued by the transport department, women passengers are required to produce a valid identity document establishing their eligibility for the scheme.
Accepted documents include Aadhaar card, voter identity card (EPIC), PAN card, passport, driving licence, Ayushman Bharat health card, Grameen Rozgar Guarantee card, pension documents carrying a photograph, government-issued service identity cards, educational institution identity cards and other approved identity documents issued by the West Bengal government.
Officials said carrying any one of the prescribed documents is sufficient to access the benefit.
Bus conductors have been trained to verify documents and issue tickets under the new system.
“We are checking eight documents and if they show their ID, Aadhaar, Voter ID, Driving License etc, then they will get free travel. Zero balance ticket will be issued,” a conductor said while explaining the procedure being followed.
The transport department has instructed staff to continue with document-based verification until a dedicated beneficiary identification system becomes operational.
The current arrangement is expected to remain in place for some time before the government rolls out digital smart cards carrying the beneficiary’s photograph and QR code.
Officials said women will be able to apply for the cards through designated administrative offices, including BDO and SDO offices. Once issued, the smart cards will serve as the primary mode of verification for free travel on state-run buses.
The scheme formally began operations across the state on Monday morning, with women passengers receiving zero-value tickets after document verification.