Free transport for 8.5 lakh women in Delhi

Almost a million women will enjoy free public transport as part of an attempt to make the Indian capital safer, New Delhi's government said yesterday.

The city has been notorious for women's safety since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a female student on a Delhi bus that sparked major protests.

The measure will be rolled out in the next two-to-three months for around 850,000 women.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said it would cost about $115 million a year, but would improve security and cut traffic pollution.

The regional government is also looking to install 150,000 CCTV cameras across the capital this year, Kejriwal added.

Delhi, home to nearly 20 million people, is also one of the world's most polluted cities, according to UN studies.

"Women will be allowed to travel free of cost so that they have safe travel experience," Kejriwal told a press conference.

Delhi has a rickety public transport system, and the doubling of some metro fares in recent months has forced many people onto the streets.

Some commentators accused Kejriwal, head of the small Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of making the gesture to win votes in state elections expected in January.