Karnataka Free Bus Travel Scheme For Students: All You Need To Know
Story so far: After taking charge as Chief Minister on June 3, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced a free bus travel scheme for students across the state. This initiative will complement the existing Shakti scheme, one of the Congress government’s flagship guarantee schemes launched on 11 June 2023, which provides free travel to women, transgender persons and students in non-premium state buses operated by KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC.
The new student bus ticket scheme is aimed at benefiting all students – from school to college. It is expected to benefit students in particular as female students are already eligible for free travel under the Shakti scheme.
On 12 June 2026, the Ministry of Transport issued guidelines for the distribution of free tickets to male students, formally extending the benefits of the scheme to them. With this move, male and female students will be able to travel free in buses operated by KSRTC, KKRTC, NWKRTC and BMTC.
What is the new system of free bus travel in Karnataka for students?
After assuming office as Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar announced that all students in Karnataka would be allowed to travel free of charge in state-run non-premium RTC buses across the state. This program is expected to benefit thousands of students, especially those in rural areas who rely on public transport every day to travel to nearby cities for education.
Announcing the scheme on June 3, 2026, Mr. Shivakumar said, “This is the era of youth. Students were asking why bus travel is free only for girls. Now we are providing free bus passes to all students. School and college students will be able to travel for free,” said Mr. Shivakumar.
What are the eligibility conditions?
As per the guidelines issued by the state government, free bus tickets will be provided to all students in Karnataka with effect from 12 June 2026. However, the existing eligibility norms governing student bus tickets, including academic requirements, distance criteria and pass validity rules, will remain unchanged.
Students can apply for free ticket online through Seva Sindhu portal by submitting required documents.
Students who have already purchased bus tickets for the current academic year can continue to use them. The government said the amount paid for these passes would be refunded within 15 days. To date, 19,792 students who have purchased season tickets by paying the prescribed fee are eligible for reimbursement.
Who will the scheme cover?
According to the guidelines, the scheme will benefit students residing in Karnataka even if they are studying in neighboring states. It will also be extended to students living in border areas outside Karnataka attending educational institutions in the state.
The government has also announced accident insurance coverage for all students issued free bus tickets. Under this scheme, the government will pay a monthly premium of ₹5 per student. In addition, the government will pay a processing fee of ₹100 per toll to state transport corporations.
What will be the financial impact of the system?
The state government has estimated the annual expenditure on the free student travel scheme at ₹ 286.08 crore and has assured that the amount will be reimbursed to the four state transport companies – KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC.
However, transport officials have raised concerns about the financial implications of the scheme, pointing to delays in reimbursements under the existing Shakti scheme. While welcoming the move as a significant relief to thousands of students, especially from rural and economically weaker sections, they stressed that its sustainability would depend on timely release of funds by the government.
Officials of the four transport corporations told The Hindu that they are still waiting for substantial fees under the Shakti scheme, which provides free bus travel to women. According to official data accessed by the newspaper, corporations have incurred ₹17,647.50 crore expenditure on operational services under the scheme between June 2023 and February 2026. During the same period, the government released ₹13,073.75 crore for reimbursements, leaving a backlog of ₹75,4573.573 crore.
Transport corporation officials said the delay in payments has already put pressure on their finances. Rising operating costs, including staff salaries, fuel costs, vehicle maintenance and spare parts procurement, add to the burden.
“While the companies remain committed to implementing welfare programs, delayed reimbursements affect cash flow and put additional pressure on day-to-day operations. If funds are released on time, the free student travel program can be implemented smoothly without placing a financial burden on the RTC,” said a senior transportation company official.
How did educators and student groups respond?
The state government’s decision to extend the benefits of free bus travel to all school and college students has been widely welcomed by educators and student organisations.
Niranjanaradhya VP, an expert in development education, termed the move as a long overdue measure that would significantly ease the financial burden on students and their families. “We welcome the government’s decision to extend the option of free bus pass to all students. It is a long-standing demand and will greatly benefit students, especially from economically weaker and marginalized sections, as it will help them continue their education,” he said.
Student organisations, including the All India Democratic Students Organization (AIDSO) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), also welcomed the initiative. While the Karnataka State Committee of AIDSO supported the decision, it urged the government to ensure that the program is implemented from the beginning of the academic year and without technical or administrative hurdles.
There is a growing call for subsidized or free metro tickets
While welcoming the state government’s decision to provide free bus travel to students, commuter and student groups have demanded similar benefits in the Bengaluru Metro network.
The Bengaluru Metro Commuters Association (BMCA) recently urged the government to introduce free or subsidized metro tickets for students, saying the impact of the scheme would be greatly enhanced if students were also allowed to travel the city’s metro system at little or no cost.
In a statement, the association said that unlike several public transport systems across the country, Namma Metro currently does not offer concession cards to any category of commuters, including students and persons with disabilities (PwD). She added that demands for such concessions have remained pending for several years.
According to the association, transportation costs should not become an obstacle in education. It argued that free or subsidized metro travel would enable students from different socio-economic backgrounds to access educational institutions, libraries, training centers and other academic facilities across Bengaluru without putting additional financial burden on their families.
Published – 18 Jun 2026 18:44 IST