Once every three days, 57-year-old Ambika Puliyedath boards a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus from the Ernakulam Boat Jetty bus stand to her home in Chavakkad, Thrissur. She often has to rush to the bus stand in the morning after completing her night shift at the General Hospital, Ernakulam. On these days, she shells out about ₹220 on transport alone. By the end of the month, she struggles to make ends meet.

On Monday (June 15, 2026), at 8.30 a.m., she was at the bus stand to take part in the district-level inauguration of the UDF government’s ‘Priyadarshini’ free bus travel scheme. A Guruvayur-bound bus bearing registration number KL-15-9632 was the centre of attention, as the free-ticket scheme was to be inaugurated aboard it.

“I travel from this stand regularly. Having a reliable mode of transportation for which we don’t have to pay is going to make a huge difference to our monthly budget,” said Ms. Puliyedath. Fifty-five-year-old Bindumol C.D. said the scheme would help her save about ₹1,000 every month.

Hibi Eden, MP, inaugurated the program. Mayor V.K. Minimol and Ernakulam MLA T.J. Vinod spoke.

As it was time to board the bus, women, including party workers and travellers, swarmed the vehicle. Conductor S. Surya issued the first zero-fare ticket to Ms. Minimol. To celebrate the occasion, the bus took a short detour through the city before returning to the stand.

Seventy-three-year-old S. Radhakrishnan, who was travelling to Guruvayur aboard the bus, sat bemused amid a group of excited passengers. “It is a good scheme. It gives women greater freedom and mobility,” he said as the bus pulled into the stand.

The passengers bound for Guruvayur stayed on board, while the others disembarked. “It feels like we went on a little excursion,” laughed Lulu Nafeesath, a transwoman.