In Karnataka, Shakti scheme ticket count set to cross 500-crore mark | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: On Monday, the Shakti scheme — offering free bus travel for women in the state — is set to cross the 500-crore ridership milestone. To mark the occasion, chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar will travel in a city bus and personally issue tickets to women passengers.Transport minister Ramalinga Reddy told TOI that at the district level, committees overseeing implementation of the five guarantee schemes will celebrate the milestone by distributing sweets and flowers.The Shakti scheme was the first of the five guarantees launched by Congress govt. From June 11, 2023 to July 11, 2025, the state’s four road transport corporations — KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC — issued over 497 crore tickets. The corporations have spent a whopping Rs 12,614 crore to provide free travel facilities for women on ordinary bus services. Out of nearly 25,000 buses, women are allowed to travel in over 20,000. In June this year, conductors issued more than 73 lakh tickets daily to women availing of the free travel benefit.Reddy said, “The 500-crore mark is a testimony to the successful implementation of Shakti scheme by RTCs in the state. It has been well received by the women of Karnataka. To celebrate the milestone, the chief minister and the deputy CM will travel in a city bus Monday and issue tickets.”In the first month of the scheme’s launch, RTCs issued over 10 crore tickets, incurring an expenditure of Rs 250 crore. In the second month, the number of tickets issued rose to nearly 20 crore, and the cost reached Rs 453 crore. Patronage continued to grow in the following months. The highest number of tickets — over 22 crore — was issued in May 2025, accounting for Rs 670 crore. Following an upward revision in bus fares in Jan 2025, the expenditure to provide free travel under the scheme saw a significant jump.Reddy said, “Naturally, when there is a revision in bus fares, the cost of providing benefits under the scheme increases. During festive seasons and holidays, we also see increased patronage. As promised, the state govt has been supporting RTCs by reimbursing the expenditure. Except for a pending amount of Rs 2,750 crore, RTCs have received the rest of the funds spent under the scheme.” He stated that the govt has extended additional financial support to RTCs by providing a loan of Rs 2,000 crore and facilitating the induction of new buses.“After coming to power, we have taken measures to induct 5,800 new buses and recruit 10,000 staff, including 1,000 on compassionate grounds. RTCs currently have a liability of Rs 4,000 crore due to the lack of support from the previous BJP govt,” Reddy added.
