HAPPY Scheme shortlisted for global award in public transport

Haryana Roadways' Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY) scheme has been shortlisted for a prestigious global award by Transport Ticketing Global, the world’s largest public transport forum. The scheme has been nominated in the Best Equity and Inclusion Initiative category.

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Transport Ticketing Global is a consortium representing over 40 countries, recognising outstanding contributions to public transport. Alongside Haryana Roadways, the Multiple Journey (MJQR) ticketing system of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also been shortlisted in the Best Smart Ticketing Programme (more than one million daily journeys) category.

The HAPPY scheme was launched on March 7, 2024, under the leadership of then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who is now a Union Minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. Within a week of the launch, he was replaced by Nayab Singh Saini, just before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections came into effect.

The scheme provides free travel of up to 1,000 km per year for members of economically weaker families with an annual income of less than Rs 1 lakh. In the first public event after the lifting of the model code of conduct, a special programme was organised in Karnal, where Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, former Transport Minister Aseem Goyal and former Principal Secretary (Transport) Navdeep Singh Virk distributed HAPPY cards to beneficiaries.

Former Transport Minister Aseem Goyal emphasised the uniqueness of the scheme: “This was a unique scheme specifically designed to facilitate the common man who relies on public transport for daily commuting. It uses Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) data to identify beneficiaries, ensuring that each family member receives a separate card with 1,000 km of free travel per year. No other state offers such an inclusive scheme, though some states provide free travel for specific categories.”

To avail of the benefits, beneficiaries were required to pay a one-time fee of Rs 50 for the HAPPY card, which was issued based on the Parivar Pehchan Patra. According to official data, as of January 30, over 27.20 lakh beneficiaries have been registered, and 17.33 lakh HAPPY smart cards have been delivered. So far, beneficiaries have utilised a staggering 37.86 crore HAPPY km.