Kerala’s state-owned transport corporation, KSRTC, has announced free travel for women, but questions remain about how the scheme will be implemented given the organisation’s ongoing financial crisis.

The free ticket scheme, part of the UDF’s Indira Guarantee, was announced by the Chief Minister and is scheduled to take effect from the 15th of next month. However, indications suggest that free travel will only be available on specific routes and within certain distance limits.

KSRTC has already begun gender-based ticketing to collect data on the number of male and female passengers using its services. This study will help the corporation understand the potential financial impact before a full rollout.

The corporation has been gradually recovering from years of losses, but has not been receiving adequate government support in recent months. To meet its salary and pension obligations, KSRTC has been relying on an overdraft facility from SBI.

The free travel scheme is expected to significantly increase female ridership, which will also affect private bus services operating on the same routes. KSRTC is carefully studying each route’s profitability to determine which services can sustain free ticketing.

Rural routes are expected to be more heavily impacted than urban routes, as the shift to free travel could alter passenger patterns. A detailed study is underway to assess these implications before the scheme is implemented.

The coming months will reveal whether this initiative helps KSRTC recover or adds further strain to its already stretched finances.