Free ride for women: State, KSRTC faces a tough balancing act

Amid the poor financial health of both the state government and the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), the decision to introduce a free travel scheme for women in KSRTC buses – initially limited to regular services – has drawn mixed reactions from various sections of society in Kerala. Women generally welcomed the decision as it would save them around ₹1,000 per month in transport costs.

Kerala Cabinet has decided to introduce free travel concession for women on regular KSRTC services from 15

Githa Hari, an employee of a private firm in Thiruvananthapuram, welcomed the move and said, “Though the first phase involves only regular buses, we hope the system will gradually expand to fast, fast and superfast services in the city. Personally, this system would help me save around ₹900 per month, which I can use for another family’s needs,” Ms. Hari said.

Experiences from neighboring states suggest that the free travel scheme could increase the frequency of women’s travel in public spaces across Kerala. Well-known economist Prof. KP Kannan said women from the poorer strata, the working class and the self-employed groups would benefit the most as the wealthy generally rely on alternative modes of transport. “This could boost economic activity, as money saved on travel expenses would likely be spent elsewhere in the economy. Increased mobility would also lead to a greater presence of women in public space, which would increase economic activity,” he said. But the main question remains how such a system can be implemented without putting an additional burden on the cash-strapped treasury, he said.

Substantial liabilities

The previous government left behind significant loan commitments. The priority of the new government should therefore be the rationalization of public expenditure and the strengthening of tax collection measures. According to him, these steps would help the state overcome the financial crisis to some extent.

An estimate prepared by KSRTC reveals that the company would suffer a revenue loss of around ₹112 crore if the scheme is extended to all categories of buses and about ₹57 crore if it remains limited to regular services within 90 days. However, limiting the system to only regular buses could attract public criticism in the future. KSRTC currently operates around 4,700 buses, of which nearly 3,000 are regular services. However, a significant number of these buses are over 15 years old and exceed the age limit set within the scrapyard. The state government releases around Rs 80 crore per month for payment of salaries and pensions in public services.

Private bus operators, who are likely to be adversely affected by the scheme, said it could sound the death knell for Kerala’s private bus industry, which comprises around 9,000-10,000 buses. The impact would be particularly severe in South Kerala and parts of Central Kerala where the presence of KSRTC buses is very high and women constitute almost 60% of the bus passengers. “The system will attract women commuters to KSRTC services and eventually many private bus operators may be forced out of business,” said P. Gopinathan, general secretary of the All Kerala Bus Operators’ Organization.

As per the state government’s plan, the first phase of free travel for women in KSRTC buses will be implemented in regular services. During the first 100 days, women will be able to travel for free only on ordinary buses. After this period, the government is actively considering extending the benefit to other categories of services, including fast and superfast buses, said Transport Minister CP John, who said this after a meeting with Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Monday.

Published – 08 Jun 2026 20:19 IST