Priyadarshini launch: KSRTC logs ₹2.10 crore worth of free rides on first day

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The rollout of the state government’s 'Priyadarshini' free travel scheme effectively converted a majority of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ordinary services into women-only buses on Monday. Large crowds of women commuters were seen actively looking for the "Priyadarshini Free Travel" stickers on ordinary buses before boarding, leaving male passengers struggling to find space during peak commuting hours.

According to official data released by the Transport Minister’s office, 7.14 lakh women and transgender passengers availed themselves of the "zero-rate" tickets after the scheme officially commenced at 9:30 AM on Monday.

Surge in ridership and financial impact

The inaugural day of the initiative saw a massive spike in ridership compared to standard weekdays. Key figures from the launch day include:

• Ridership jump: An increase of 1.42 lakh women and transgender passengers compared to the previous Monday.
• Financial footprint: The total value of free rides distributed on day one touched ₹2.10 crore, slightly surpassing the KSRTC’s initial daily estimate of ₹2 crore submitted to the Transport Department.
• Overall commuter base: On an average working day, KSRTC buses ferry around 20 lakh passengers. The day-one surge indicates a significant shift in public transport dynamics.

Shift in commuter behavior and peak hour rush

The implementation of the scheme caused an immediate ripple effect across the public transport sector. Because the free travel facility was only implemented after 9:30 AM on Monday, the afternoon and evening peak hours saw an unprecedented rush of passengers.

Many regular private bus commuters chose to wait past their usual travel times specifically to catch KSRTC ordinary buses. Transport officials also noted that besides regular daily commuters, a fair number of people boarded the buses out of sheer curiosity to experience the first day of the initiative.

The heavy influx of women passengers meant that male commuters found it exceptionally difficult to even board ordinary buses during rush hours, while those who did manage to get inside found virtually no vacant seats.

Department officials expect these numbers to climb further as data from subsequent full-day operations is tabulated.