Thiruvananthapuram, July 17 (IANS) Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John has described the initial performance of the Priyadarshini scheme, which provides free travel for women and transgender persons on KSRTC ordinary services, as a major success.

John said on Thursday that the scheme has led to a significant increase in the number of passengers travelling on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses.

During the first month of implementation alone, 3.81 crore free journeys were recorded under the scheme.

He added that women now account for 66 per cent of all passengers travelling on KSRTC buses.

The analysis was based on authenticated travel data collected through the corporation’s Electronic Ticket Machines (ETMs).

The average number of daily women passengers on ordinary services increased from 6.48 lakh to 12.12 lakh, representing an 87 per cent rise.

As a result, women’s share of passengers on ordinary services has increased from 50.9 per cent to 66.6 per cent, meaning that nearly two out of every three passengers are now women.

When ordinary and super-class services are considered together, the average daily passenger count has risen from 19.03 lakh to 24.53 lakh, registering an overall 28.9 per cent increase in ridership.

According to the Minister, this growth is not merely a shift of existing passengers from one category to another but reflects the creation of new demand for public transport.

At the same time, the number of male passengers travelling on ordinary services has remained almost unchanged.

The increase in women passengers has therefore not come at the expense of other commuters.

KSRTC has been able to accommodate the additional passengers within its existing operational network.

The Minister said the Priyadarshini scheme is far more than a free travel programme, describing it as a foundation for enhancing women’s mobility and economic participation in Kerala.

“The fact that more than 5.5 lakh additional passengers are travelling on KSRTC buses every day is a clear indication of the public’s growing confidence in public transport,” he added.

However, the Minister acknowledged that the scheme has resulted in a revenue loss of around Rs 60 crore.

He added that this financial impact had been anticipated by the state government before the scheme was launched.

Since Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan also holds the Finance portfolio, funds required to implement the scheme are being released without delay, the Minister said.

John also pointed out that KSRTC currently faces limitations in introducing more buses into service.

As a possible solution, the state government is considering a proposal to make it mandatory for each MLA to allocate funds for the purchase of one KSRTC bus from their constituency development fund.

The Minister also said the Kerala government would like to extend the Priyadarshini scheme to Express and Fast Passenger services in the future.

However, given the present financial and operational constraints, such an expansion is not feasible at this stage, he added.

–IANS

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