Free travel scheme for differently-abled persons to be launched in A.P. on March 18

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a major welfare initiative for the differently-abled persons under the ‘Divyang Shakti’ scheme, as part of which free travel will be provided in the APSRTC buses across the State.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will launch the scheme in Amaravati on Wednesday, while the MLAs will launch the scheme in their respective constituencies.

As part of the scheme, all persons with 40% or more disability will be eligible for free travel in APSRTC services, including city ordinary, metro express, Palle Velugu, Ultra-Palle Velugu, and express buses. The free travel facilities will be available in 7,264 buses, covering nearly 73 per cent of the APSRTC fleet.

The scheme also provides a 50 per cent fare concession to people accompanying differently-abled passengers, significantly easing travel for those requiring assistance.

Previously limited to just four categories, the scheme will now cover 21 categories of disabilities, including physical and mental disabilities, autism, neurological disorders, Parkinson’s disease, thalassemia, haemophilia, and sickle cell disease.

With this expansion, the number of beneficiaries is set to rise from about 2.05 lakh to 12.76 lakh, including both differently-abled individuals and their attendants.

The government will bear an annual financial burden of ₹207 crore to implement the scheme. Officials said the initiative aims to enhance mobility, accessibility, and social inclusion for differently-abled persons.

Digital passes

Digital passes with QR codes will be issued through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance platform and APSRTC mobile app, eliminating the need for physical certificates. Services will also be available at 134 APSRTC bus station counters across the State.

The ‘Divyang Shakti’ scheme builds on the success of the ‘Stree Shakti’ initiative, launched last year to provide free bus travel for women, which has recorded over 52 crore trips within seven months.

The government expressed confidence that the new scheme would empower the differently-abled persons by improving their access to education, employment, and essential services, said a release on Tuesday.