Rajkot, Oct 19 (IANS) The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC), on Sunday, announced free travel for all sisters and women passengers on city bus and bus rapid transit system (BRTS) routes on the occasion of Bhai Beej, the festival celebrating the sacred bond between brothers and sisters.

The initiative, which has now become an annual tradition, will be implemented across all city routes on Thursday.

According to RMC officials, around 54,000 passengers travel daily by public transport system in Rajkot, including 24,000 commuters on city buses and 30,000 on BRTS services.

On the occasion of upcoming Bhai Beej, women passengers availing either of these services will not be required to purchase tickets.

The civic body operates 206 city buses and 32 BRTS buses every day to cater to commuters across Rajkot.

As per the 2011 Census of India, Rajkot district has a total population of nearly 33.8 lakh, of which around 18.3 lakh are women, representing just more than 54 per cent of the total population.

This data provides a baseline for understanding the scale of women residents in the city, though the current population is likely higher due to growth over the past decade.

This yearly gesture by the Rajkot Municipal Corporation aims to make festive travel easier and to honour the spirit of Bhai Beej.

The festival, celebrated on the second day of the Kartik month, symbolises the deep affection between brothers and sisters.

Legend has it that Lord Yama visited his sister Yamuna on this day, and she applied a tilak on his forehead, praying for his long life and happiness — a ritual that continues as a cherished tradition in Indian households.

Gujarat’s bus transport network, managed primarily by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), operates one of the country’s largest fleets with around 8,300 buses running 41,000 daily trips over 30 lakh kilometres, covering more than 99 per cent of the state’s villages and population, according to GSRTC data.

The state has a total of about 92,000 buses, including public and private operators, as per the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

–IANS

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