NEW DELHI: After women, students and senior citizens may also get to free metro rides in the city.

Even as hurdles remain in implementing the subsidy scheme for women commuters in Delhi Metro, CM Arvind Kejriwal said at an event that a similar facility for senior citizens and students could be considered in the second phase.

The CM made the statement while interacting with senior citizens at the Delhi Secretariat during the launch of the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojna.

A senior citizen asked Kejriwal if free metro and bus ride scheme would be announced for them also, to which he said, “Half of the senior citizens are already covered under the free women ride scheme. After the first (phase of the) scheme is implemented, we will consider it.”

Students and the elderly have in the past, too, made representations to the Delhi government for student concessions.  

The Kejriwal government had last month announced free travel in metro and bus for women commuters with the objective to ensure their safety.

The announcement evoked mixed reactions with some claiming the move will hardly help women safety as the last-mile connectivity still remains a problem while some others criticized it as an election gimmick. Even E. Sreedharan, the pioneering chief of the Delhi Metro, spoke out against the move saying it would push the metro towards bankruptcy.

However, many commuters lauded the scheme saying it would save travel expenses.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation stated that implementing the free travel scheme will result in an annual loss of around Rs 1,560 crore, which the government said it will reimburse to DMRC.