THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ‘Priyadarshini’ free travel scheme continues to be a major hit on the second day, as per the travel data released by Transport Minister C P John.
On June 16, 18.56 lakh people travelled on ordinary buses, of whom 11.84 lakh, or approximately two out of every three passengers, were women.
John noted that with widespread awareness about the scheme, women who previously travelled by purchasing tickets have shifted to Priyadarshini free tickets. He said while paid female passengers on ordinary services numbered 7.25 lakh on June 8, as many as 11.8 lakh women travelled for free on June 16.
“The government needs to reimburse KSRTC Rs 2.46 crore on this specific day,” he said. This surge driven by female passengers pushed total ordinary service ridership up from 14.40 lakh on June 8 to 18.56 lakh on June 16. Across all classes, KSRTC’s total passenger count reached 25.53 lakh on June 16, a 25.8% increase from the previous week.
The minister also clarified that women travelling in ordinary buses will not be charged even if a passenger is willing to pay, citing practical and administrative difficulties.