Karnataka's free bus travel for women clocks 16.73 crore rides in one month

On June 11, Karnataka government rolled out the 'Shakti' scheme, which is one of the first five poll guarantees of the Congress party.

Karnataka's free bus travel for women registered 16.73 crore rides in one month (June 11 to June 10),  according to records from the transport department.

Women constituted 50.8% of the total 32.8 crore passengers who traveled since June 11, 2023 including four RTCs in Karnataka - Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).

The highest number of women passengers traveled on BMTC buses (5.38 crore), followed by KSRTC (5.09 crore), NWKRTC (4.02 crore), and KKRTC (2.23 crore) during this period.

The total value of tickets issued under the Shakti scheme amounted to Rs 401.94 crore during this period. KSRTC, primarily operating long-distance routes, issued tickets worth Rs 151.25 crore, followed by NWKRTC (Rs 103.51 crore), KKRTC (Rs 77.62 crore), and BMTC (Rs 69.56 crore). The lower value of tickets under the Shakti scheme in BMTC is due to women undertaking short trips in Bengaluru.

V Anbukumar, the managing director of KSRTC, told Moneycontrol, "We have submitted the bills of the Shakti scheme to the finance department, and the state government has assured us of monthly reimbursement."

Statistics show four RTCs recorded a daily women passengers of 55.77 lakh, including BMTC (17.95 lakh), KSRTC (16.97 lakh), NWKRTC (13.42 lakh), and KKRTC (7.43 lakh) during this period. Prior to the scheme, daily women ridership was 41.81 lakh, including BMTC (10.86 lakh), KSRTC (14.43 lakh), NWKRTC (9.12 lakh), and KKRTC (7.41 lakh).

On July 4, a total of 1.20 crore passengers traveled in the four RTCs, with 70.15 lakh of them being women (58.4%).

"The general public, and particularly women passengers, have been benefiting from this scheme by traveling on our buses daily. This demonstrates that government buses are not only the lifeline of the public but also the preferred mode of transport for women passengers," said Ramalinga Reddy, transport minister.

"The scheme has been exceptionally successful, with only a few minor incidents, and it serves as an exemplary initiative toward women empowerment," he added.