Karnataka’s Shakti scheme increases ridership, but faces pending reimbursements

Karnataka’s Shakti scheme, providing free bus travel for women on State-run buses, celebrated its first anniversary on June 11 this year, though full reimbursement from the government is yet to be achieved.

Karnataka’s Shakti scheme, providing free bus travel for women on State-run buses, celebrated its first anniversary on June 11 this year, though full reimbursement from the government is yet to be achieved.

Data from the Transport Department highlights a substantial increase in daily ridership on State-run buses since the scheme’s inception. Prior to the scheme, these buses recorded an average of 93.46 lakh passengers daily. After its launch, the figure rose to 116.63 lakh passengers, reflecting an average increase of 23.17 lakh daily commuters.

Launched on June 11, 2023, the Shakti scheme is among the five flagship guarantee initiatives introduced by the Congress government after assuming office last year. It aims to enhance women’s mobility and empower them through free bus travel.

To implement the scheme, the four State transport corporations — Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) — together incurred an expenditure of ₹4,38,036.59 between June 2023 and March 2024.

However, the government has reimbursed only ₹3,19,975 to these corporations based on the issuance of zero-fare tickets to women commuters during this period. This leaves a pending reimbursement amount of ₹1,18,061.59, according to the available data.

Meanwhile, this October, the KSRTC added 20 luxury buses to its fleet — the Airavat Club Class 2.0 model — each costing ₹1.78 crore. According to officials, the new buses are 3.5% longer overall, offering increased space between passenger seats.

Earlier, on February 5, KSRTC introduced the Ashwamedha series, comprising 750 buses. These buses, now operating as KSRTC’s point-to-point ordinary service, connect Bengaluru with district headquarters and other towns and cities.