Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan to launch ‘Priyadarshini’ free travel scheme in KSRTC buses on June 15

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. The ‘Priyadarshini’ free travel scheme in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) ‘Ordinary’ services will not be restricted to women from Kerala, but will be open to all women who board the buses, Minister for Transport C.P. John said on Friday (June 12, 2026). They will not be required to produce identification documents or certificates for availing the facility, but will be issued ‘zero’ fare tickets so that the transport utility can calculate the financial footprint of the scheme, Mr. John said. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will flag off a bus crewed by women at the KSRTC Bus Station, Thampanoor, at 8.30 a.m. on Monday to launch the ‘Priyadarshini’ scheme, one of the ‘Indira Guarantees’ of the UDF government. The State government had issued orders on June 11 for launching the free travel scheme in ‘Ordinary’ services for women and transgender travelers. Of the 3,125 KSRTC buses under ‘Ordinary’ service in Kerala, 687 are in Thiruvananthapuram district, 415 in Kollam and 325 in Ernakulam. The Transport department is also exploring ways to enhance the non-fare revenue of the KSRTC, although no decision has been finalised so far. A scheme for sponsoring KSRTC buses is among the suggestions that the department has received, he said. The KSRTC is also planning to have depot-level development committees modelled on hospital development committees, Mr. John said. The Transport Minister also announced plans to expand the ‘Grama Vandi’ scheme launched under the LDF government’s term to improve rural services. The number of services under the scheme will be enhanced from 58 to 500 with the assistance of local bodies, Mr. John said.