Like the Karnataka government, the Kerala government, led by VD Satheesan, announced free bus travel for women at its first cabinet meeting. Notably, the free bus travel is among the five ‘Indira guarantees’, promised by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in their election manifesto. Free bus travel will come into effect from June 15 as the government prepares to roll out the plan after finalising the details. Congress is already running free bus travel for women in Karnataka as part of its five guarantees.
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is responsible for implementing the free bus ride scheme. However, the decision is not going to be as smooth as it seems.
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Financial Strain and Fleet Decay
The new initiative faces major obstacles before it even begins. Financing is the primary concern. KSRTC has lost money for years, surviving mostly on state government bailouts. However, the state’s own finances are already strained. Data shows the KSRTC fleet is actively shrinking. It now runs only about 4,000 buses, while the private sector operates nearly 7,000. Furthermore, 1,270 of these KSRTC buses are over 15 years old.
Rising Expenses and Employee Costs
Operating costs also continue to climb. Despite its small fleet, KSRTC supports 22,000 permanent workers and 43,000 pensioners. The 2026 Budget reveals that the previous LDF government injected Rs 14,000 crore into the corporation over the last decade. This funding was necessary just to cover salaries, pensions, and basic operations because ticket revenues fell short.
Revenue Breakdown
Every day, KSRTC carries between 1.8 and 2.3 million passengers. Women make up half of this ridership. Recent gender-based ticketing data shows that women contribute Rs 3.75 to 4.25 crore of the total Rs 7.53 crore daily revenue. Offering free travel to women will drastically increase the government’s financial burden. As a result, KSRTC will rely even more heavily on state funds to manage and run its fleet.
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Backlash from Private Operators
Private bus operators present a second major challenge. They fear a massive loss of female passengers. Shortly after the Cabinet’s announcement, Gopinath, president of the Kerala bus operators’ body, spoke to the media. He warned that the scheme would heavily damage the private transit industry and slash their revenues.
