One month of Priyadarshini: Calculating costs and commuters

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Priyadarshini free travel scheme, introduced by the UDF government for women on KSRTC ordinary buses, has completed its first month of operations. Data indicates a significant surge in ridership since the program's inception, with the daily number of women passengers increasing from 7.25 lakh to 11.84 lakh—a 40 percent rise. Currently, 3,125 ordinary buses are operational under this scheme across the state.

The total value of free travel provided under the initiative has reached 95 crore INR and is projected to hit 100 crore INR within the next two days. While the government has allocated 50 crore INR to support the scheme, specifically to cover salary and pension obligations, KSRTC management is exploring alternative revenue streams, including advertising, to mitigate the resulting income loss.

Impact on Private Bus Sector

The shift in passenger trends toward KSRTC has placed considerable pressure on the private bus sector. According to private bus operators, approximately 750 buses have ceased operations over the past month due to the sharp decline in ridership.

Operators have raised concerns regarding the existing KSRTC schedule, asserting that it continues to compete directly with private services. While there have been requests to reschedule or modify KSRTC timings to better accommodate the private sector, official approval for such changes has not yet been granted. In response to these mounting grievances, the state government has appointed an expert committee to study the challenges currently faced by the private bus operators.