Thiruvananthapuram, 08 June (H.S.):The Kerala government will implement its free travel scheme for women on KSRTC buses from June 15, with the benefit initially restricted to ordinary bus services during a 100-day pilot phase.

The scheme, one of the key promises made by the United Democratic Front (UDF) during the Assembly election campaign, will be introduced on a trial basis before any decision is taken on extending it to other categories of buses. The decision was taken following discussions between Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Transport Minister C.P. John.

Officials said the first phase will be confined exclusively to ordinary KSRTC services, allowing the government to study travel patterns, passenger response and the financial impact of the programme. After the completion of the 100-day period, the government will review the findings and decide on the future course of the scheme.

A KSRTC expert committee had recommended against extending free travel to fast passenger, superfast and long-distance services at the outset, citing the possibility of major operational difficulties and significant revenue losses. Based on this assessment, the government opted to restrict the scheme to ordinary services during the initial phase.

The state government has assured KSRTC that it will fully compensate the corporation for the loss of ticket revenue resulting from the programme. According to KSRTC estimates, implementing the scheme on ordinary services alone could result in an additional monthly financial burden of around ₹57 crore.

To examine how the financial impact can be addressed, the government has assigned the State Finance Secretary to study compensation mechanisms and identify funding sources. A detailed report is expected to be submitted in the coming months.

The free travel initiative is expected to benefit a large number of women commuters across Kerala and is among the flagship welfare programmes announced by the UDF government after assuming office.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman