THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a massive milestone for public transit, KSRTC’s ordinary buses alone carried more passengers for free than the entire population of the state within just one month of launching the Priyadarshini travel scheme.
Announcing the achievement, Transport Minister CP John revealed that the corporation ferried an impressive 3.81 crore women passengers and disbursed free tickets worth Rs 60 crore during this initial period, with the average ticket value standing at Rs 21.
Daily women ridership has more than doubled, skyrocketing from the previous average of 5 to 6 lakh to a staggering 12.71 lakh, meaning that two out of every three KSRTC passengers are now women.
While daily commuters form the bulk of the beneficiaries, leisure travel has also seen a massive boom; passenger numbers to the tourist hotspot of Malakkappara in Thrissur surged by 48%, Nelliampathi saw a 46% rise, and both Gavi in Pathanamthitta and Ponmudi in Thiruvananthapuram recorded over a 30% increase.
The initiative has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public, with KSRTC securing ten times more five-star ratings (11,572) than one-star ratings. Building on this momentum, the corporation plans to enhance the commuting experience by introducing ad-supported radio streaming and video clips inside the buses.
The environmental impact has been equally noteworthy, with the minister claiming that carbon emissions per 1,000 passengers have dropped by 100 kg to 404 kg due to the shift toward public transit.
To better understand the socio-economic ripple effects of the initiative, KSRTC is now launching a study to assess the exact financial impact in terms of income saved by women.
Addressing operational challenges, the minister admitted that the current fleet of ordinary buses is insufficient to meet the skyrocketing demand. To counter this, the government is actively considering legal measures to allow MLAs and local self-government bodies to sponsor new buses.