The scheme to provide free rides to women in state-run buses, one of the key promises of the newly formed UDF government, will cost the exchequer between… $712 Crores $1,300 crores annually depending on the extent of its implementation.
John told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the free bus ride scheme will be implemented in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from June 15 for women and transgender people across the state.
“All women, regardless of their financial backgrounds, will be able to benefit from the scheme from June 15. Transgender people have also been included. The finer details of the implementation of the scheme, such as which category of buses will be offered free of charge, will be revealed after the Cabinet meeting on June 10,” John said.
The Transport Minister and officials from his department met Chief Minister V D Sathisan at the Secretariat on Monday to discuss the implementation of the scheme.
If the scheme is limited to the ‘regular’ category of KSRTC buses, plying on short local routes, the cost will be approx. $The minister said: Rs 712 crore annually. “If it is expanded to all classes of buses, it will be expensive $1300 crores added annually.
John said the financial burden of the scheme would not fall on KSRTC, noting that the government would put in place a financial package to support its implementation. The state-run transport company, which has been at a loss for years, currently relies on monthly loans from the state government to pay salaries and pensions.
The promise of free bus travel for women in KSRTC buses was among the five ‘Indira guarantees’ announced by the Congress-led United Democratic Front during the Assembly election campaign. This will be the first time that a government in Kerala is offering free bus travel to a section of society.
