Overview
- Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan inaugurated the programme and flagged off an all-women‑crewed KSRTC service on Monday, June 15, as parallel depot launches rolled out across the state.
- The pilot grants free travel without prior registration to women and transgender people on about 3,125 KSRTC ordinary buses using zero‑value Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) receipts to record journeys for reimbursement.
- Multiple outlets reported a sharp first‑day rise in women passengers, with one count at roughly 1.33 million journeys that nearly doubled weekday ridership on ordinary services.
- Private bus operators said the shift cost them large numbers of women riders and warned of severe revenue shortfalls that could force services off the road unless the government provides support.
- Official cost figures differ sharply — KSRTC offered a substantially higher monthly liability while state leaders cited roughly ₹800 crore a year — and the government has pledged to reimburse KSRTC and review finances and compensation after the 100‑day trial.