Free Bus Research Articles

Impact of Tamil Nadu Free Bus Travel Scheme for Women on Workforce Participation and Economic Empowerment

Impact of Tamil Nadu Free Bus Travel Scheme for Women on Workforce Participation and Economic Empowerment

A Study on Satisfaction of Tamil Nadu Government Free Bus Travel for Women in Madurai City

Abstract: In May 2021, the Tamil Nadu government launched a scheme that made public city and town buses (with certain caveats) free for women. While the rides are completely free (with no restrictions on the number of trips per day or month), the scheme is applicable only on ‘white board’ buses. The white board buses are what are known as Ordinary Bus Routes and represent the most inexpensive category of service that halts at all bus stops on a given route. The state government has provided an annual subsidy of Rs.1,200 crore to state transport undertakings to compensate for the fare box loss due to the scheme. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has extolled the scheme as an ‘economic revolution’, enabling women to join the workforce. In the eyes of many though, free transport remains a political gimmick. It’s not unusual to find citizens who question why travel should be free; and why just for women. A free travel scheme though is not unlike free health services or free education. Some services are so closely linked to ‘public good’, that the cost they incur is easily offset by the good that they achieve. Public transport is one of these. In general, women in India struggle to attain financial independence and a promising career. These challenges are multiplied in the case of women from underprivileged communities as they start with little to no education and a higher dependence on men. Much of this is culturally driven. They are also mostly unemployed; and when they do find employment it is within the unorganized sector, earning low wages. In the majority of Indian families, men tend to have access to the household vehicle, while women generally rely on public transport. Considering that the percentage of women undertaking paid work in India is only 21% while the global average is 47%, mobility becomes a life changing factor that could make or break a woman’s access to work opportunities. On the other hand, women who decide to not work outside the house, still rely on public transport to run errands and manage the household. This again incurs a cost.

Free bus fares, bus use and physical activity: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

Public transport (PT) users often accumulate more physical activity (PA) than private motor vehicle users and financial incentives may increase PT use. Responding to rising petrol prices, from 28 March to 1 May 2022, the Tasmanian government made public bus use fare-free. This exploratory study examined the perceived impact of fare-free buses on bus use and PA. Tasmanian adults who had used the fare-free buses (N = 548) completed an online survey (4 May-14 June 2022). Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential methods and responses to open-ended questions categorised. Over the fare-free period, 46% of participants reported more bus use-average weekly bus trips increased from 3.0 to 4.0 (p < 0.001). Most (81%) participants, including 36% (n = 33/93) who were not previous bus users, planned continued bus use despite financial cost. Total PA was reported higher (36%), the same (60%) and lower (4%) than usual during the fare-free period. Higher total PA was more common amongst those reporting increased bus use (n = 186/240; 78%). Responses to open-ended questions revealed: bus use-related PA gain was through walking to/from bus stops, more frequently attending PA settings (e.g., the gym) and unexpected walking due to bus service limitations; household-level cost savings, improved travel opportunities and better social/mental health were additional fare-free benefits. Fare-free buses were commonly perceived to increase bus use and PA. Intervention studies would determine if PA and financially incentivised PT have a causal relationship. Individual- and societal-level health economic analysis of free PT is warranted.

A simplified system dynamics model to investigate the effects of urban transportation management policies on reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions

Kuwait suffers from severe air pollution levels making it on the top ten list worldwide pollution wise based on the records of Air Quality Index (AQI). The transport and energy sectors represent the major players in contributing to the current unprecedent pollution situation Kuwait is suffering from. The unique harsh arid weather associated with high levels of humidity, high temperatures and frequent sandstorms in the region intensifies the extent of the pollution crisis. There is almost no single study in the literature that focused on testing different scenarios on transport and energy sectors effects into the reduction of prevailing pollution levels in this region of the world. This work comes to fill this gap in the literature. A simplified system dynamics model (covering the years from 2004 to 2040) was developed for Kuwait to simulate the effects of different urban transportation management policies on reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions levels. Two policies were tested: a gasoline tax with low, medium, and high rates, as well as a free bus service. Combined policies resulting from merging the gasoline tax at different levels with the free bus service were also tested, which outperformed the two separate plans being implemented alone. The best combined strategy achieved was to encourage citizens to use public transportation by utilizing the free bus service rather than using private vehicles in addition to impose a high fuel tax. This action was anticipated to reduce CO2 emissions by 14 million metric tons and the number of private vehicles by 3 million vehicles by the end of 2040. Such approach proved to be helpful in reducing the pollution levels and in turn decrease the severity of global warming phenomenon in the Arabian desertic peninsula.

Does Tamil Nadu’s free bus travel policy impact women’s lives?

Does Tamil Nadu’s free bus travel policy impact women’s lives?

ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE EXISTENCE OF SATRIA BUS MASS TRANSPORTATION IN KEDIRI CITY

This research aims to determine public perceptions regarding free city transportation "Satria Bus" in Kediri City, as well as finding out the advantages and disadvantages of this city transportation. The method in this research is descriptive with a qualitative approach using observation, interview and documentation study techniques. The validity test used is source triangulation. From the research results, it is known that the public's perception of the Satria Bus is that they are greatly helped by the free facilities provided by the Kediri City government. Satria buses can reduce the number of traffic accidents and reduce people's use of private vehicles which has an impact on reducing congestion. The existence of free buses is very supportive, especially for people in Kediri City as a means of moving from one place to another to carry out activities. This shows that the Satria Bus is very useful for the people in Kediri City. So, the government takes better care of the maintenance of the Satria Bus.

Does The Scheme “Free Bus Policy for Women in Public Transportation” Contributes to The Achievement of The Sustainable Development Goals?

Tamilnadu, one of the states in India is performing better in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing various schemes and programmes. One such scheme “Free bus travel for women in public transportation”, was launched in June 2021 in an effort to reduce the cost of travel and enhance women’s work participation rates. Women's mobility is essential for increased labour force participation, higher wages and salaries. The aim of this scheme is to help women, especially those who earn a living on a daily basis, become economically independent and free from poverty. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyse the impact of the scheme with the various relevant SDGs. It is a descriptive paper that highlights the policy’s various benefits on women, whether it contributes to the achievement of various sustainable development goals such as Goal 1.4 (access to basic services), Goal 4.3 (Equal access to tertiary education), Goal 5.2 (elimination of violence against women in public and private sphere), Goal 8.5 (decent work) &amp; Goal 11.2 (safe public transportation) using both quantitative survey and qualitative interviews which was carried out among 150 women commuters in Sivagangai District. The scheme was shown to have a good effect on women by assisting them in meeting their practical needs, such as gaining access to markets and schools, and by assisting them in strategically empowering themselves by providing access to social and economic possibilities.&#x0D;

Policy prescriptions to address energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom

Tens of millions of households across Europe struggle to afford adequate electricity and heating services and reliable transportation, while recent high fuel prices could lead to an increase in excess winter deaths. Tackling energy and transport poverty is thus of paramount policy importance. Here we document the drivers and lived experiences of energy and transport poverty in the United Kingdom, based on public focus groups and expert interviews. We find a set of policies that resonate with both expert planners and members of the public, implying they have a level of political and social acceptability that other measures may be lacking, notably: mandatory landlord energy efficiency upgrades, increasing the extent of financial assistance to households, cheaper (or even free) bus and train fares and restarting and expanding bus services. We buttress these findings with further suggestions for energy and transport system redesign that better meets emerging principles of energy and social justice.

Infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: a systematic review

BackgroundNoncommunicable diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Modifying the risk factors for these conditions, such as physical inactivity, is thus essential. Addressing the context or circumstances in which physical activity occurs may promote physical activity at a population level. We assessed the effects of infrastructure, policy or regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase and clinicaltrials.gov to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before-after (CBAs) studies, and interrupted time series (ITS) studies assessing population-level infrastructure or policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity. We were interested in the effects of these interventions on physical activity, body weight and related measures, blood pressure, and CVD and type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, and on other secondary outcomes. Screening and data extraction was done in duplicate, with risk of bias was using an adapted Cochrane risk of bias tool. Due to high levels of heterogeneity, we synthesised the evidence based on effect direction.ResultsWe included 33 studies, mostly conducted in high-income countries. Of these, 13 assessed infrastructure changes to green or other spaces to promote physical activity and 18 infrastructure changes to promote active transport. The effects of identified interventions on physical activity, body weight and blood pressure varied across studies (very low certainty evidence); thus, we remain very uncertain about the effects of these interventions. Two studies assessed the effects of policy and regulatory interventions; one provided free access to physical activity facilities and showed that it may have beneficial effects on physical activity (low certainty evidence). The other provided free bus travel for youth, with intervention effects varying across studies (very low certainty evidence).ConclusionsEvidence from 33 studies assessing infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions for increasing physical activity showed varying results. The certainty of the evidence was mostly very low, due to study designs included and inconsistent findings between studies. Despite this drawback, the evidence indicates that providing access to physical activity facilities may be beneficial; however this finding is based on only one study. Implementation of these interventions requires full consideration of contextual factors, especially in low resource settings.Trial registrationPROSPERO 2018 CRD42018093429.

A Geographical Analysis of Free Bus Shuttle System in Ondo State, Nigeria

The research aimed at examining the policy of the State Government in providing free shuttle buses for the students in the state. Seven towns in Ondo State, where free shuttle buses were operating were purposively selected. The selected Towns were Ikare, Owo, Akure, Ondo, Okitipupa, Irele and Igbokoda. Five public schools were randomly selected using balloting method in each of the Towns. In all, thirty-five schools were involved in the research. Furthermore, ten students from each arm of the classes (JSS I to SSS III) were selected using balloting method of sampling technique. In-depth interview were conducted on parents and Principal of the schools. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaire administered to students, teachers and operators of the shuttle buses. Secondary source of data include the use of maps (Ondo State map), published articles and journals. Information on school population and other information on public schools relevant to this research were collected from the State Ministry of Education. Data collected from the field were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. The result shows that since the commencement of the free bus shuttle, rate of lateness had been drastically reduced. Moral teaching and instructions given at the morning assembly had impact on larger number of students who come to school on time. The Result also revealed high rate of cognitive development of the students’ base on class’s attendance. The paper recommends that more buses should be provided for the schools and that all schools in the state should be included in the scheme.

Free public transport and older people: An ethnographic study of an Australian bus service.

This study explores older people's use of a free bus service in Wollongong, Australia. The research focus was on understanding the experiences of people over the age of 60 who use the service and the extent to which it contributes to their physical, mental and social well-being. The ethnographic research utilised fieldwork and interviews for data collection. Participant observations took place on the bus, and interviews were undertaken at bus stops. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. The research highlighted how bus services can be caring places for older people and a bus journey could be characterised as a therapeutic milieu. Travelling on the bus provided opportunities for health promotion due to active transport. Subsidised access to public transport supported people to maintain social connections throughout the city. Bus travel has contributed positively to the physical, mental and social well-being of people over the age of 60 in Wollongong.

Waiting for the Bus

In a natural experiment, college students riding public transit to UCLA were presented with the opportunity to pay for time savings. They could pay 75¢ to travel right away, or wait an average of 5.3 minutes for a free ride. Eighty-six percent of riders chose to wait rather than pay. Their behavior suggests that the disutility of time spent waiting for a free ride is less than $8.50 per hour. Riders overestimated their wait time by a factor of two when it was imposed by the transit system, but accurately estimated their wait time when they chose to wait for the free bus ride.

A modal shift due to a free within-destination tourist bus scheme: Multimodality and transport equity implications

The idea of the modal shift has been central to transport policymaking in the past few decades. Fare-free public transport (FFPT) schemes are among the potential policy instruments that are expected to promote modal shifts. After the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, FFPT schemes have been implemented in large tourist destination areas in China to attract visitors. However, although FFPT has been practiced across the globe, its effect on travel modal shifts and transport equity is still under scrutiny.This paper, therefore, employs the notion of multimodality and indices for perceived accessibility and equity to investigate whether an FFPT scheme in tourist destination areas encourages a modal shift and promotes transport equity. A two-wave survey was conducted before and after the restoration of within-destination tourist bus tickets in the Mount Yandang Scenic Area, a famous tourist attraction in the Yangtze River delta. Propensity score matching (PSM) was then employed to analyse the treatment effect of the FFPT scheme. Our results indicate that, although the FFPT scheme significantly increased tourists' multimodality, the modal share of within-destination tourist buses was not significantly changed. More surprisingly, we found a modal shift from car-based services such as taxis to informal transportation provided by B&B operators and local residents. Moreover, it is notable that informal transport modes significantly influenced tourists' perceived accessibility and transport equity. Therefore, the tourism industry should encourage the integration of within-destination buses and informal transport modes to encourage multimodal travel, which is more sustainable ecologically and socially.

DEVELOPMENT OF A BUS TRACKING AND MONITORING DEVICE USING ARDUINO NODE MICROCONTROLLER

Since the opening of Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam Campus (UiTM-SAC), the university has accommodated its students by providing free bus transportation around the campus. The buses are operated based on a specific time schedule. However, students often have to wait a long time for buses because the buses do not usually arrive on schedule. In addition, the bus schedule is manually controlled by an officer, which takes time, and the data can easily be lost. Hence, the goal of this research is to develop a bus tracking and monitoring system for the UiTM-SAC. Arduino node microcontroller unit and global positioning system (GPS) sensors were used to send and receive GPS location information. The data retrieved from these sensors were displayed on an organic light-emitting diode and stored in a web-based software spreadsheet. For the experimental test, only one bus was used for collecting and analysing data. Data were immediately presented on the user interface. The results indicate that the system was able to track and monitor the bus by providing the bus’s latitude, longitude and speed. The results also revealed some key factors that affect the time required for a bus to complete a route based on users’ demands at that time. The difference in demand was 76.2%, as most students use the UiTM bus service in the morning than in the evening. In conclusion, by using the proposed bus campus tracking and monitoring system, users can easily find the exact location of buses running at the UiTM-SAC

The Impact of Knowledge on the Utilisation of Programmes and Services by Persons with Disability

The study aims to discuss whether the knowledge of programmes and services increases the utilisation of them by persons with disability. By following a quasi-experimental research design, pre- and post-training interviews were conducted with 34 participants. Post-training assessments were conducted after an interval of 6 months and again after a 4-year follow-up. The analysis showed that majority of participants had 41%–74% of disability, were involved in manual work, had knowledge on free bus pass and were getting pension. The comparison of pre- and post-training data showed significant difference in knowledge ( F = 29.051, p &lt; 0.001) and service utilisation levels ( F = 11.999, p &lt; 0.001). It was evident that knowledge played a vital role in utilisation of the services. Hence, government and service providers need to pay more attention on creating awareness of policies, programmes and services for the better utilisation of them.

An Evaluation of Smart Selangor Bus Service Efficacy

Smart Selangor Bus (SSB) is a free bus service that is a local government initiative as one of the most effective measures for its citizens. It aims to improve the quality and transport system in the state of Selangor. The SSB serves as one of the public transport vehicles carrying passengers around the city without charge regardless of age, occupation, gender or nationality. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors that can contributed to commuter satisfaction and evaluate an effectiveness on subsidized fare free public transport (FFPT) services provided. Data for the study were gathered through questionnaire among passenger of SSB on socio-demographic characteristics, travel behaviour characteristics and question of willingness to changes the mode of transportation and rider’s data depends on type of routes from Klang Municipal Council (MPKlang). The Cronbach’s Alpha test shows that the value is α&gt;0.7 which is it showed the questionnaire to reach the high reliability. The results of this study show that an effectiveness of SSB is significantly related commuter satisfaction on bus stop cleanliness and comfort, bus cleanliness, comfort and safety of the bus and also punctuality and other facilities and also related to the increase in the number of riders every month. Those factors that can contribute to the commuter satisfaction further affect the willingness of Klang residents to switch to public transport mode options and continue to enjoy this free fare public transport facility and at the same time increase the effectiveness of SSB service. These findings provide a vision for better management to SSB stakeholders, especially to funders na

Reason and Its Others in Coetzee's Jesus Novels

Reason and Its Others in Coetzee's Jesus Novels

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH FREE BUS TRAVEL SCHEME IN TAMIL NADU: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VILLUPURAM DISTRICT

This article has mainly focused on the innovative scheme of free bus travel and how it benefited the people and sparked to empower the women in the male centric society. Tamil Nadu is a welfare State which implemented innovative schemes for enhancement of people status gradually. On the consequence, the Government of Tamil Nadu has announced the scheme for women welfare and empowerment named “Free Bus Travel Scheme” which has given the free travel to all women in Tamil Nadu. The intention of the scheme was announced by the Government of Tamil Nadu to increase the mobility of women. This scheme has increased the women’s mobility and their savings. Tamil Nadu, being a role model for implementing the innovative free schemes for entire India. All the state has attributed the concept for their convenience and applied the different phenomenon. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Government has given the doles and freebies to the people, especially those have in the poverty line. Some of the electronic goods also provided to enhance the economic and educational enhancement. Now the tern has changed beyond the stereo type of schemes and programs. Conceptually, the Government has announced the free travel for all women might be stupendous character which directly or indirectly enhance the women status and empower the women in this society. Keywords: Women Empowerment, Innovative schemes, free bus travel, economical enhancement.

A Loss Estimation of Free Bus Fares to Improve Settlement Conditions for Elderly - A Case Study in Chungcheongnam-do -

본 연구는 버스요금 무료화 정책 도입에 따른 고령자의 통행행태 변화를 분석하고, 선호의식조사를 활용한 버스요금 무료화 정책의 손실규모 산정 시 발생되는 과추정 문제를 해결하는 방법론을 제안하고 실증 분석을 통해 제안 방법론의 효용성을 확인하는데 연구의 목적이 있다. 분석을 통해, 버스요금 무료화 정책 도입에 따른 다음과 같은 시사점이 도출되었다. 첫째, 고령자의 주말 외출횟수는 평일의 외출횟수와 비교할 때 상대적으로 많이 증가될 것이다. 둘째, 친교와 같은 새로운 목적통행이 증가될 것이다. 셋째, 개인차량 이용률이 감소됨에 따라 노인 교통사고 감소 및 버스 이용이 활성화 될 것이다. 넷째, 버스요금의 부담이 없어짐에 따라 일상적인 외출활동이 증대되어 지역사회의 경제 활성화에도 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 것이다. 이와 같이 버스요금 무료화 정책은 충청남도 지역의 주거환경과 삶의 질 향상에 긍정적인 영향을 가져올 것으로 예견된다. 한편, 버스요금 무료화에 대한 손실규모 산정에 적용한 선호의식조사는 가상상황에 대한 선호도를 조사하는 것으로 과추정이 포함되므로 조사결과를 여과 없이 사용하는 경우 추정오류의 한계를 벗어날 수 없다. 따라서, 본 연구에서 제안한 방법과 같이 관련 사례의 실적치를 활용하여 과추정을 보정하는 과정이 필요하며, 이와 같은 과추정 보정방법(현행화 방법)은 선호의식조사를 활용하는 다양한 연구에서 활용될 것으로 기대된다.

“More Than a Free Bus Ride”—Exploring Young Adults’ Perceptions of Free Bus Services Using a Qualitative Approach: A Case Study of Penang, Malaysia

Encouraging the younger generation to use public transport can revolutionise the way that citizens commute in the future; hence, municipalities must provide good public transport services to encourage their use. A free bus service was introduced in Penang, Malaysia, to support the sustainable agenda and to provide transport for low-income groups. However, the lack of ridership resulted in the service being far from achieving its target. This study assessed young adults’ perceptions of the current free bus service in Penang to design a strategy to attract them to use the free bus. In this study, six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with young adults aged between 18 and 25 years old studying in three different higher institutions located along the route of the free bus. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis, in which four areas were identified—free service, reliability, information provision, and attractive service. Finally, this paper provides valuable input on initiatives to further encourage young adults to use the free bus service in Penang.