Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Thursday issued an order granting free travel for women and transgender persons on ordinary Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses from June 15 under the Priyadarshini scheme, a key promise under the newly elected UDF government's Indira Guarantee programme.

According to the Transport Department order, the scheme aims to ensure unrestricted mobility for women and promote a more inclusive and participatory society. The government said the initiative is expected to enhance employment opportunities for women while contributing to their economic and social empowerment.

The decision follows a proposal submitted by the KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director seeking approval for a free-travel scheme on KSRTC services. After examining the proposal, the government approved the first phase of the programme, under which all women and transgender persons, irrespective of age, will be entitled to free travel on all ordinary KSRTC services from June 15 onwards.

The order states that the scheme's implementation and effectiveness will be periodically reviewed, with further measures to be formulated based on the assessment. The state government will bear the full financial burden of the project and establish a dedicated cash-transfer and financial-management mechanism to ensure that KSRTC's operational expenses and financial commitments are met without disruption.

The government has also directed the KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director to explore and develop additional non-fare revenue sources to offset the scheme's financial impact.

Earlier, Chief Minister V D Satheesan had said the free-travel initiative is expected to result in a monthly revenue loss of ₹65 crore to ₹70 crore for KSRTC, translating into an annual shortfall of around ₹800 crore. He assured that the state government would fully compensate the corporation for the loss. The Chief Minister also said KSRTC would use the next six months to identify new revenue streams and strengthen its financial position while implementing the scheme.