Free cabs, discounts for BMC voters
From free cab-rides to special offers at restaurants and special invites – the state election commission, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), associations, NGOs and college students are leaving no stone unturned to increase the city’s voter turnout on Tuesday.
Vote for Mumbai campaign run by students has partnered with cab-service provider Ola for free rides from polling booths in return for a vote pledge.
Lishu Singhvi, a third-year student and a member of Vote for Mumbai said, “People will have to give a missed call on 8733087330 then go and vote, so their ride back from the polling booth will be free...”
BMC has also tied-up with Uber to give a ₹75 discount to citizens to and from the polling booth. The Association of Hotel and Restaurants (AHAR) has also requested its members to
give special offers – either by discount or a free dessert after they exercise their franchise. Citizens can expect a 5-15% discount at some restaurants.
“We are doing this for a larger interest of increasing the voter
turnout in the city,” an AHAR spokesperson said.
Hotel associations in the Lonavala – Khandala belt will be giving a 20% discount for citizens who have voted.
The election for 227 electoral wards in the city will be held on Tuesday, February 21. Though above 60% of Mumbai’s population are registered voters – the voting turnout remains dismal. In the 2012 civic elections, the turnout was about 44%.
On Saturday, the R/South ward office in Mumbai which includes Kandivili started sending invitations to every house along with their voter slips.
Another NGO – the Operation Black Dot (OBD) which has been working with the election commission has released a guidebook for citizens to know the “what, how and why” of elections.
Apart from the importance of elections, Mumbai’s voter turnout and how to register as a voter, the guidebook also helps you find your polling booth.
Citizens can log onto operationblackdot.in/voter-listsearch/ to find the same. Along with a production house, the NGO has also released a film asking people to vote.