KSRTC Free Travel Scheme for Women to Launch on June 15
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is set to roll out the “Priyadarshini Free Travel Scheme” for women and transgender individuals starting Monday, June 15. Part of the state government’s Indira Guarantee initiative, this welfare scheme allows eligible passengers to travel free of cost in designated KSRTC ordinary buses without any age, income, or registration restrictions. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will officially inaugurate the state-level project at 8:30 AM at the Thampanoor Bus Terminal, with the historic first service being operated by an all-woman crew of driver and conductor.
The free travel benefit is applicable across 3,125 ordinary buses in the first phase, spanning seven specific categories: Ordinary, City Ordinary, Limited Stop Ordinary, Town-to-Town, Fair Stage Limited Stop, Point-to-Point Limited Stop, and Gramavandi services. However, superclass services such as City Fast, Fast Passenger, festival specials, weekend additionals, and chartered trips are excluded from this scheme. Geographically, Thiruvananthapuram district leads with the highest number of eligible ordinary buses at 687, followed by Kollam with 415 and Ernakulam with 325.
To keep an accurate count of passengers and assess the financial impact, conductors will issue “zero-value tickets” to all female passengers. While the scheme is estimated to incur a monthly loss of approximately ₹70 crore (around ₹2 crore daily) for KSRTC, the state government has guaranteed to compensate the public transport operator directly rather than burdening its finances. Transport Minister C.P. John noted that the savings kept by women would ultimately flow back into the local market, boosting the state’s overall economy. Additionally, the government plans to resolve issues faced by private bus operators through discussions and has no intention of harming the private transport sector.
