Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9 (IANS) In a landmark welfare initiative, the Kerala government on Thursday announced free travel for all cancer patients on buses operated by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) up to the Super Fast category.

This fresh announcement comes at a time when the Economic Review of the State in 2024 reported that cancer is one of the major Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in Kerala.

It further revealed that cancer deaths among males in the state were much higher in comparison to the national average.

Kerala is soon going to have its local body polls, while the Assembly elections will take place in April/May next year.

The announcement was made in the Assembly by Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, who said the decision would be implemented immediately.

The scheme will also benefit patients travelling to private hospitals for treatment, ensuring that the financial burden of travelling does not stand in the way of accessing care.

“The KSRTC Director Board will approve and implement the decision today itself,” the minister informed the House.

The announcement came amid noisy Opposition protests, but the minister struck a sharp tone, criticising the disruption.

“For the Opposition, this may not seem important. They shouted ‘shame’ when the announcement was made. But for patients and their families, this is a significant relief,” he said.

The welfare announcement comes on the heels of strong operational performance by the KSRTC.

On October 6, the corporation posted Rs 9.41 crore in daily ticket revenue, the second-highest in its history.

Its best-ever collection of Rs 10.19 crore was recorded on September 8, 2025.

The free travel initiative for cancer patients marks another step in the KSRTC’s push to combine social responsibility with operational stability, positioning the state-run transporter as both a welfare driver and a financially-resilient public utility.

Kerala has the highest crude cancer incidence rate in India, with an estimated 88,460 new cases annually, projected to reach around 90,000 by 2030.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women, while lung cancer is the most common in men.

–IANS

sg/rad