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The ‘Priyadarshini’ initiative, portion of the UDF government’s ‘Indira Guarantees’, is acceptable to motorboat connected Monday (June 15, 2026). Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan volition inaugurate a autobus operated by an all-women unit astatine the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Bus Station successful Thampanoor astatine 8:30 a.m. connected that day.
This is poised to beryllium a important measurement towards greater mobility, empowerment, and societal inclusion for women crossed the State. Here are immoderate cardinal details astir the scheme.
Priyadarshini Bus Categories
KSRTC has released a database of autobus categories connected which escaped question for women volition beryllium implemented nether the Priyadarshini scheme. According to the list, women and transgender persons volition beryllium capable to question escaped of complaint connected 7 categories of mean buses operated by the KSRTC, irrespective of their age, nativity and income.
The categories covered nether the strategy are Ordinary, City Ordinary, Limited Stop Ordinary, Fair-Stage Ordinary, Town-to-Town, Point-to-Point, and Gramavandi services.
How is it implemented?
According to the State government’s plan, the archetypal signifier of the escaped question strategy for women successful KSRTC buses volition beryllium implemented successful mean services. Of the 3,125 KSRTC buses nether ‘Ordinary’ work successful Kerala, 687 are successful Thiruvananthapuram district, 415 successful Kollam and 325 successful Ernakulam.
Under this scheme, women volition not beryllium required to nutrient recognition documents oregon certificates for availing the facility, but volition beryllium issued ‘zero’ fare tickets truthful that the transport inferior tin cipher the fiscal footprint of the scheme. Moreover, the ‘Priyadarshini’ escaped question strategy successful KSRTC ‘Ordinary’ services volition not beryllium restricted to women from Kerala, but volition beryllium unfastened to each women who committee the buses, Minister for Transport C.P. John said connected Friday (June 12).
During the archetypal 100 days, women volition beryllium allowed to question escaped lone connected mean buses. After this period, the authorities is actively considering extending the payment to further categories of services, including accelerated and superfast buses, according to Mr. John.
Financial impact
A specialised committee established by the nationalist transport authorization determined that permitting escaped question connected higher-category buses, specified arsenic accelerated rider and long-distance services, from the opening would pb to important operational challenges and fiscal losses.
According to an appraisal done by KSRTC, the fiscal liability arising from the implementation of this strategy successful mean buses is estimated astatine astir ₹712 crore per month. If the strategy is extended to each categories of buses, the liability is expected to summation astir ₹1,300 crore per month.
“The State authorities volition supply the further magnitude required for the KSRTC to instrumentality the scheme, successful summation to the ₹1,500 crore being provided annually now. We person asked the KSRTC to instrumentality the indispensable steps to summation its gross successful the coming six months. More vehicles, much schedules and much advertisements volition beryllium enactment retired arsenic portion of measures to summation revenue,” Mr. Satheeshan said.
