Kerala's Priyadarshini gives women and transgender 12.93L free KSRTC trips
Kerala's new Priyadarshini scheme lets women and transgender people ride KSRTC Ordinary busses for free, with 12.93 lakh free trips happening every day since June 15, 2026.
While this move is meant to make travel easier, it's caused a big drop in passengers for private bus operators, who are now struggling to stay afloat.
Operators call for ₹15 minimum fare
In just 100 days, about 700 private busses have stopped running, and private busses operating in southern Keralam are losing ₹2,000-₹3,000 daily. With rising fuel costs and fewer riders, many operators have reduced services.
"The State government should hike the minimum fare to ₹15 for all categories of passengers, along with an increase in student fares, to offset the losses suffered by private busses. Otherwise, the private bus sector will face a slow death," said T. Gopinathan, general secretary of the All Kerala Bus Operators Organisation.
Kerala government defends free KSRTC travel
Despite complaints from private operators, the Kerala government says the scheme lets women and transgender persons travel for free on KSRTC Ordinary busses.
Officials say an expert committee headed by former Transport Commissioner K. Padmakumar submitted a report with recommendations, and private bus operators rejected most of them.