Tribal women in Jawadhu Hills to get free bus rides soon
Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar flagged off 32 new buses including 26 mofussil buses in Tiruvannamalai town on Saturday. Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu and Tiruvannamalai Collector D. Baskara Pandian are also seen.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In a few weeks time, tribal women in Jawadhu Hills of Tiruvannamalai can take free bus ride from the hills to the plains as the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate at least two buses every day exclusively under free bus travel scheme for women from August-end.
Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar, along with Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu and Collector D. Bhaskara Pandian flagged off 32 new buses at a cost of ₹12.18 crore at a function in Tiruvannamalai on Saturday. “It [free bus ride for women] was a long-standing demand of women in the hills. The service will be operated from this month-end, coinciding with Kodai-Vizha in the hills,” he said.
At present, four bus services are being operated to Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai every day. Of this, only one bus service (route no: 777), Polur-Vellore through Jamunamarathur, is operated from the bus depot in Polur town from the foothills.
Polur is the nearest town that has a depot for bus services to the hillock. Remaining three bus services are operated from Tiruvannamalai town, around 80 km away. First bus service from Polur to the hills starts at 4 a.m. and returns at 1.20 p.m. Most of the bus services to the hills, especially from Polur depot, were started only a decade ago.
The hills have 38 villages, covering 272 hamlets. However, buses halt only at Jamunamarathur due to its central location in the hills.
TNSTC officials said that as per government order, a depot can operate free bus rides for women commuters to hillock tribal hamlets only up to a distance of 35 km. Jamunamarathur is located 47 km from Polur.
“Now, this order will be relaxed to operate free buses for women in the hills. Currently, 127 free buses for women are operated in Tiruvannamalai district, benefitting around 83,000 commuters every day,” a TNSTC official said.
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