Shimla, Nov. 7 -- The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), which is facing a book-value loss of nearly Rs 2,100 crore, has decided to adopt a more technology-driven approach to rationalise its subsidised travel schemes.
In a major policy shift, women in Himachal Pradesh will now need to obtain an HRTC Him Bus Card to avail themselves of the 50 percent fare discount on HRTC buses.
Currently, conductors manually issue half-fare tickets to women passengers. Once the new digital card system becomes fully operational, the discount will only be granted upon showing the Him Bus Card. Without it, women will be required to pay the full fare.
So far, the HRTC has received 4,300 applications for Him Bus Cards across the state. Of these, 1,93...