KSRTC to introduce ladies-only pink buses again: Why was it discontinued in 2018?

A few years ago, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) had ladies-only special buses in Thiruvananthapuram. The corporation is now ready to relaunch the discontinued service. At a recent event in the capital, Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar said buses will also have female crew, and the service is linked to the 'pink taxi' for women. The new service is expected to benefit daily commuters, working professionals, and students.

Discontinued in 2018
In January 2017, too, KSRTC had announced a similar plan for women commuters in Thiruvananthapuram. The plan was to extend it across the state, if successful. However, the service was called off in June 2018. According to reports, there were few takers, and the corporation, under financial stress, limited the service. For instance, on a route with the potential to generate ₹14,000, the pink bus collected only around ₹ 4,000. Therefore, the bus's colours were changed, and it was used for ordinary services. 

Novel initiatives
In the past few weeks, KSRTC has also launched several new services, including bottled water for passengers on buses, fried chicken delivery from the fast-food chain Chicking, and roll delivery from the start-up Rail Rolls. Last year, KSRTC also earned approximately ₹43 crore from its budget tourism operations.