Karnataka's Shakti Smart Card to offer free bus, metro rides
Big news for women in Karnataka: the state government has approved Shakti Smart Cards, which provide free travel for eligible women on state-run busses and also work as a stored-value card for paid metro rides.
This move builds on the Shakti scheme, already used by over 7.5 million women daily across more than 25,000 busses.
Cards will be issued free to verified beneficiaries
Bengaluru alone sees about 2.2 to 2.4 million daily users.
The cards will be issued free to verified beneficiaries, with rollout expected within a few months.
Instead of showing Aadhaar, you just swipe your card on the ticket machine, making travel smoother and helping reduce misuse.
Future plans may add K-RIDE suburban rail to the mix
The cards double as National Common Mobility Cards for Namma Metro, so you can recharge them for metro rides too.
Plus, a dedicated app is coming soon where you can check your balance and recharge the card; UPI integration is proposed as a potential payment option.
Registration will be easy through portals like Seva Sindhu or at local centers.
Future plans may add K-RIDE suburban rail to the mix.