Cabinet Approval Pending, Karnataka Govt Misses June 1 Deadline for Women's Free Travel in Buses

The much-awaited promise made by the Congress of free travel for women on government buses in Karnataka may have to wait a bit longer.

Despite minister for transport Ramalinga Reddy stating that the decision would be implemented from June 1, News18 has learned that formal clearance at the cabinet meeting, scheduled for June 2, is required to make it actionable.

Transport Corporation (RTC) officials have submitted a report after thoroughly reviewing the final health of the body and according to the report, the free travel guarantee can be implemented with additional funding from the state government, fleet upgrades, and increased manpower.

The compiled report, intended for cabinet approval, provides details on the expected number of women who will benefit, the terms and conditions, the burden on the exchequer, and the financial status of all four transport corporations, as shared by the minister with News18.

“I want to make it clear that all women can travel for free on government buses,” Reddy emphasised after chairing the first meeting on May 30, where he met senior officials from all four transport corporations.

Karnataka will become the third state in the country, following Delhi and Tamil Nadu, to introduce free bus rides for women. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government implemented this in 2019, while the MK Stalin government in Tamil Nadu implemented it in 2020 after the DMK came to power. Under the scheme in Tamil Nadu, women are issued a ‘zero ticket,’ enabling them to travel up to 30 kilometers across the state at no cost.

A senior minister familiar with the implementation discussions of the five guarantees clarified that free travel would come with certain conditions. Luxury bus services such as air-conditioned buses or premium interstate services like Airavatha or Ambari would not fall under this scheme, explained the minister.

Specific conditions regarding eligibility and the bus services women can avail of for free will be finalised during the cabinet meeting on Friday, as mentioned by Reddy.

The first cabinet meeting, held on May 20 by the newly formed government in Karnataka, aimed to formally approve the implementation of the five guarantees or schemes promised in the Congress manifesto.

These guarantees include Shakti (free travel for women on government public transport buses across Karnataka), Griha Lakshmi (Rs 2,000 every month for every female head of a family), Griha Jyoti (200 units of free electricity per month for every household), Yuva Nidhi (Rs 3,000 a month for unemployed graduates aged 18 to 25 and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders for two years), and the Anna Bhagya scheme (providing 10kg of rice every month to every member of below-poverty-line families, with 5kg from the state and 5kg from the Centre under the Food Security Act).

Transport officials state that nearly 50 per cent of daily bus commuters, of the 80 lakh total, are women. They utilise the services of the four road transport corporations: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ferries 23.59 lakh passengers daily for inter-district and state transportation, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) transports 27.34 lakh passengers, North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) handles 16.94 lakh passengers daily, and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) ferries 14.64 lakh passengers every day.

According to estimates compiled by the Transport Department, the four RTCs generate approximately Rs 23.13 crore in revenue daily, resulting in a total revenue of Rs 8,946.85 crore for the period between 2022 and 2023. The report prepared by the transport department highlights an estimated annual expenditure of Rs 4,220 crore for the RTCs to implement the scheme.

Transport officials also suggest in the report that the four RTCs need to upgrade their fleet with a minimum of 4,028 new buses and hire 13,793 additional staff members for effective implementation. Reddy has already given approval in principle to procure 4,249 new buses during the current financial year.

The report, listing the modalities on how to implement the free bus service promise while generating adequate income to sustain it, will be submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for approval during the cabinet meeting.