Women’s free travel in KSRTC buses is expected to begin from June 15, likely restricted to ordinary services.

The Kerala government has decided to restrict its key election promise of free bus travel for women to ordinary services operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), according to official sources.

An expert committee appointed by KSRTC has reportedly concluded that extending the benefit to higher-category services, starting with Fast Passenger buses, would not be operationally feasible. Officials noted that allowing free travel on buses with reservation systems could create logistical difficulties and disrupt scheduled services, leading to inefficiencies in operations.

Under the revised proposal, the scheme will be limited to ordinary KSRTC buses. The state government is expected to compensate KSRTC for the revenue loss arising from the implementation of the initiative. Preliminary estimates indicate that an additional ₹90–100 crore per month may be required, in addition to the approximately ₹80 crore currently allocated by the government towards salaries and pensions of KSRTC employees.

Despite financial concerns, the government expects a significant increase in passenger traffic once the scheme is introduced. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, KSRTC carried around 3.5 million passengers daily. However, current ridership has dropped to between 20 and 25 lakh passengers per day. Officials believe that the free travel initiative could help improve these numbers.

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According to Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, the government is aiming to roll out the scheme on June 15. A final decision is expected at the upcoming Cabinet meeting, where details of implementation will be further reviewed.

The government is also expected to evaluate the scheme’s performance after rollout and may consider extending it to other categories of KSRTC bus services in the future, depending on operational and financial feasibility.