BENGALURU: As transport corporations gear up to roll out free bus travel for women, the first thing they would do is reserve 50 per cent of the seats for men. For the first time, public buses will have seats reserved for men, the transport corporations said.
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC), and North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWSRTC) are shouldering an onerous task to ensure that women can travel for free.
The cabinet meeting has approved all the five guarantees which have come with riders. But now, the transport corporation authorities have to ensure that there is no confusion regarding the free bus rides for women, and they are able to reap the benefits.
The officials clarified that women can occupy the seats reserved for men, but have to leave it if a man wants to sit. There is no cap on the number of women who are willing to stand, the official said.
“After rolling out the ‘Shakti’ scheme, we are expecting a sudden jump in the number of women riders.
Since men have to buy tickets, 50 per cent seats will be reserved for them. If seats reserved for women are filled, they can occupy the seats for men if they are empty,” said a KSRTC official, adding, “Stickers will demarcate the seats reserved for men before rolling out the scheme”.
As clarified by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, there will be no change in the reservation of seats followed by the BMTC buses.
Mixed reactions on Shakti scheme
The Shakti scheme evinced mixed reactions among women. While some claimed it will be a game-changer, others doubted if it will be of any help at all.
Ranjita Singh said that the scheme will become a huge financial burden on the state’s exchequer. Sofia Linshi said the scheme will be similar to any other government scheme with little improvements. Hilda Ropas thinks otherwise, and said the scheme will help significantly in the development of the state.
“It will be a challenge to implement the free travel scheme. Compared to working women who can afford to buy tickets, I feel this scheme will be more helpful for non-working women,” said Shakuntala Deb.