The State government’s announcement of free travel for women in KSRTC buses from June 15 has triggered debate, with many commuters welcoming the move while private bus operators warn it could severely disrupt the transport sector.

At the crowded East Fort bus stand in Thiruvananthapuram, women commuters described the proposal as a major financial relief amid rising household expenses.

“I work in three houses every day and spend nearly ₹80 on bus tickets. If bus travel becomes free, it will help women like me more than anyone else. That money would increase our savings,” says Mini Rajan, a domestic worker from Neyyattinkara.

S. Lekha, a homemaker from Kazhakuttam, says the move will greatly impact family budgets. “For middle-class homes like ours, even ₹50 or ₹100 saved daily matters now, especially when grocery expenses are going up. My daughter travels to college and I often take buses for hospital visits and shopping. If travel becomes free, that money can go toward groceries or medicines,” she points out.

However, the announcement has sparked strong opposition from private bus operators, who fear that the move could bring their operations to a halt.

Kerala State Private Bus Operators’ Federation general secretary Hamsa Erikkunnan warns that if women are allowed free travel in KSRTC buses, private bus services may become financially unviable.

“If the reform is implemented, almost all women passengers in private buses will shift to KSRTC services. Around 60% of a private bus’ daily income goes toward diesel expenses alone. If passenger numbers fall by more than half, daily collections may not even cover fuel costs,” he cautioned.

He added that many private buses could be forced off the roads from the very first day of the scheme’s implementation, unless the government takes the survival of private operators into account while framing the policy.

Meanwhile, KSRTC officials have largely remained tight-lipped about the announcement. An official said they were yet to receive detailed operational guidelines from the government on implementation and categories of services to be covered under the scheme.

The State-run public utility commenced ‘gender ticketing’ nearly two weeks ago across services operating within the State, reportedly to estimate the number of women passengers and study the likely financial impact of the scheme. Accordingly, electronic ticketing machines were recalibrated to record the gender of passengers.