Shakti chip cards will be issued under the PPP model

The Karnataka government is set to introduce smart cards for beneficiaries of its flagship Shakti scheme, which provides free travel to women in non-premium state buses under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, while women will continue to benefit from free travel and get the cards for free.

Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh on Monday said the government is in the final stages of preparing a framework for issuing smart cards to over two million women who are eligible for free bus travel under the Shakti scheme.

After a meeting with senior officials of the transport department, Mr. Suresh told reporters that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) would be set up to oversee the implementation and distribution of the cards. He said that “a Transaction Advisory Committee has been appointed to finalize the smart card framework and guide the transport corporations on technical requirements, tenders and distribution mechanism.

“The committee is expected to submit its report by the end of this month. Based on its recommendations, the government will start tendering for issuing smart cards in bulk,” Suresh said.

Mr. Suresh further said that the smart card project will be implemented under the PPP model. Eligible women receive free cards. The state government would bear the cost of processing the cards issued to the women, while the selected private partner would provide technical support and manage related operational services, he said.

According to preliminary estimates, transport corporations may require 2.5 to 3 million smart cards when both women and men are taken into account.

“The proposed smart card system is expected to streamline ticketing and passenger authentication across the Karnataka state transport services. This will improve service delivery and enable better management of passenger data,” said Mr. Suresh.

Passengers currently enjoy free travel under the Shakti scheme by presenting a valid government-issued ID to the conductor and get a zero-fare ticket. However, officials said there have been cases of abuse, including the use of invalid or duplicate identity documents to claim the benefit.

Launched on 11 June 2023, the first of the Congress government’s five guarantee schemes, the Shakti scheme provides free travel to eligible passengers on non-premium services run by state-run transport companies. The program has since grown into one of Karnataka’s most popular social initiatives and has been recognized by the Golden Book of World Records for recording the highest number of women availing free travel under a public transport scheme.

During the review meeting, the ministry discussed plans to introduce more electric buses to the fleets of the four state transport companies. Mr. Suresh said more than 4,000 electric buses would be procured in phases as part of the government’s efforts to promote environmentally sustainable public transport.

Published – 15 Jun 2026 21:05 IST