The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has rolled out a scheme offering free rides for women and transgender persons in its buses, a key promise of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Named 'Priyadarsini', the scheme is a pilot project that offers free rides in KSRTC's 'ordinary' class buses, which ply on short-distance routes within major cities or between towns.
The scheme, one of the five 'Indira guarantees' of the UDF, was inaugurated by Chief Minister VD Satheesan in Thiruvananthapuram. The state government will spend ₹800 crore annually to fund the scheme, which is expected to have a profound effect on the social and financial conditions of lakhs of working women.
However, the BJP has expressed dissatisfaction with the state government's decision to limit the benefits to the ordinary class of KSRTC buses, demanding that the project be implemented across all categories of buses.
Despite the controversy, BJP MP and Union minister Suresh Gopi has endorsed the scheme, suggesting that economically secure women should voluntarily forgo the benefit to help sustain it.
