The Kerala government has announced free travel for women from June 15 under Priyadarshini scheme and in this regard, the KSRTC on Saturday released a list of bus categories in which free travel for women will be implemented from June 15, officials said. As per the list, women and transgender persons will be able to travel free of charge on seven categories of ordinary buses operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
The categories covered under the scheme are Ordinary, City Ordinary, Limited Stop Ordinary, Fair-Stage Ordinary, Town-to-Town, Point-to-Point, and Gramavandi services. Officials said stickers will be displayed on eligible buses to help passengers identify services covered under the scheme.
Know all about Priyadarshini scheme
- The scheme offers free travel for women on KSRTC ordinary buses and is expected to strengthen their economic independence by reducing travel expenses.
- Free travel for women on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses was one of the key election guarantees of the UDF.
- In the first phase of the project, free travel for women on KSRTC ordinary buses will be implemented from June 15.
- The scheme, one of the five guarantees announced by the UDF during its election campaign, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister VD Satheesan in Thiruvananthapuram on June 15. The government will compensate KSRTC for the expenditure incurred in implementing the scheme.
Free bus travel for women will initially be available on KSRTC buses
Earlier this week, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the Cabinet has decided that the Indira guarantee of free bus travel for women will initially be available on KSRTC's ordinary services from June 15.
Satheesan, at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting chaired by him, said that the concession, called 'Priyadarshini', in its current format will cost the KSRTC over Rs 60 crore per month or around Rs 800 crore annually and will be borne by the state government.
The CM said that the concession will be available for women of all ages and all walks of life, irrespective of their financial background or income, and for transgenders also. He said that at present the government was giving around Rs 1,500 crore annually to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) for meeting its salary and pension requirements.
Rs 1,500 crore already being given to KSRTC
"So, in addition to the Rs 1,500 crore already being given to KSRTC, the government will also give it Rs 800 crore for the scheme," he said. The CM further said that the KSRTC has been asked to adopt various measures in the next six months to increase its revenue generation and it has agreed. "Once that happens, we can move to the next phase of the scheme," he said.
The government will take steps, like buying more buses and starting additional services, to improve revenue generation of KSRTC and make it profitable, he said. "This is just the first phase of the scheme. Once the financial health of KSRTC improves by increasing its revenue generation, we will consider moving to the next phase of the initiative," he said.
It will be reviewed every month, including the less number of KSRTC buses in Malabar region and how many women use ordinary buses and where, and if required, alternatives will be considered, the CM said.
The five Indira guarantees, announced by Rahul Gandhi during the assembly poll campaign in March this year, comprised free KSRTC bus travel for women, a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 for girl students in colleges, an increase in welfare pension to Rs 3,000, health insurance coverage up to Rs 25 lakh per household, and interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for young entrepreneurs.
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