Thiruvananthapuram, June 16: Kerala’s first free travel initiative for women and transgender individuals has received an overwhelming response from the public. The newly launched ‘Priyadarshini Free Travel Scheme’ has become a significant success on its inaugural day.
This initiative has raised concerns among private bus operators, who reported that initial assessments conducted on Monday night indicated they did not even earn enough to cover diesel costs. An official from the operators stated, “We will evaluate the situation and are waiting to present our case to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.”
On the launch day of the free travel scheme, over 1.3 million women utilized the services of KSRTC’s ordinary buses, marking a pivotal moment in Kerala’s public transport sector. The positive impact is evident in the sharp increase in the number of female passengers.
Compared to the previous Monday, the number of women using KSRTC’s ordinary services nearly doubled. On June 8, 734,693 women traveled on KSRTC buses, while this Monday, the figure surged to 1,329,938. This increase indicates that nearly 600,000 additional women opted for KSRTC services after the free travel initiative commenced.
On Monday, 595,245 more female passengers traveled compared to the previous week, highlighting the immediate effect of this initiative. The first day’s statistics have also provided a significant boost to the government, as the estimated value of the tickets issued to women under this scheme reached ₹2.2 crore.
The substantial turnout has reinforced the government’s assessment that this scheme could encourage more women to use public transport in the coming days. The formal inauguration of this initiative took place at 9 AM on Monday at the KSRTC premises in Thiruvananthapuram’s Thampanoor. CM Satheesan marked the launch by ringing a traditional double bell, signaling the start of what has been described as a historic welfare initiative.
Under this scheme, free tickets are available for women and transgender individuals traveling on KSRTC’s ordinary buses across the state. The government has presented this move as an effort to promote mobility, reduce travel-related burdens, and improve access to education, employment, and essential services.
The overwhelming response in Kerala on the first day has positioned the Priyadarshini scheme as a major achievement for the new government and a significant step towards making public transport more inclusive, although it has placed private operators in a challenging situation.
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