New Delhi, August 15: Months after proposing to make Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses free for female commuters in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday issued an official announcement, stating that women would not be charged for commuting in DTC buses from October 29.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has strongly backed Kejriwal's measure, though political rivals have labelled it as "populism" ahead of the assembly elections slated for February next year. DTC Announces Free Bus Rides for Women in Delhi on Raksha Bandhan

Kejriwal Announces Free Bus Rides For Women From Oct 29:

Earlier explaining the rationale behind the move, Kejriwal had said that it would allow all working women in Delhi to use public transport without facing financial constraints.

The Chief Minister had described the move as an egalitarian measure, which will allow those who are economically underprivileged to also use the DTC bus service for commutation.

The BJP, which is the sole opposition party in Delhi assembly, has decried the move calling it a political stunt. The party has instead demanded the Kejriwal government to envisage a long term strategy to increase the fleet of DTC buses.

"We are not against the idea. There is no problem in giving free rides to women, but where are the buses? The AAP is befooling people," Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2019 12:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).