BENGALURU: A month of its launch ‘Shakti’ scheme to allow free travel for women in State run buses has been a hit, said the Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy going by the number of travelers since the scheme took off on June 11 and he termed the ‘Shakti’ scheme “an exemplary initiative towards women empowerment.”
The ruling Congress party prior to coming to power in Karnataka had announced 5-schemes including ‘Shakti’ scheme and the scheme came into effect from June 11. As per the scheme, women with Karnataka domicile are allowed for free in State run buses and in Express buses within the State.
The figures indicate that the women travellers marginally outnumber men and in a month of the launch of the scheme, as many as 19, 39, 39, 266 women passengers travelled and their ticket value was at Rs 461, 11, 44, 579.
The average of ticket value of women passengers travelling in buses in the four Corporations-Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC), Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) and North West Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) stood at Rs 13.40 crore.
The highest number of women passengers travelling under the ‘Shakti’ scheme was on July 4 when women passengers accounted for about 70,15,937 out of total number of travelers 1,20,04,725 passengers with the average women passengers standing at 58. 43 percent.
As per the figures, on the day of its launch, the ‘Shakti’ scheme received good response and the statistics pointed that as many as 5, 71, 023 of them travelled in State run buses and the ticket value was Rs 1, 40, 22, 878. On the second day of the scheme, figures indicate that 41, 43, 726 women travelled in State run buses.
With the number of women passengers travelling in State run buses has gone, it has made the officials concerned to engage extra trips and as per the statistics till July 10, the four Corporation operated 3, 147 trips.
The ‘Shakti’ scheme has come in for appreciation from Veerendra Heggade, pontiff of Sri Dharmasthala Kshetra, a popular Hindu pilgrim centre in Dakshina Kannada of Karnataka and the pontiff lauded the programmes launched by the Government of Karnataka in the budget.
Veerendra Heggade in a letter to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 8 stated that women pilgrims to Dharmasthala have expressed happiness and have been offering prayers in the name of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Buoyed by the success of ‘Shakti’ scheme, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated about 13,000 bus conductors would be appointed and that 4,000 buses would be pressed into service in coming days. About 18 crore women have travelled under the scheme so far and on an average about 49.6 lakh women travel in State run buses.
“Such schemes have been implemented very successfully with an objective of bringing economic empowerment among women,” he said and expressed happiness that KSRTC service is also improving.
Managing Director of KSRTC Anbu Kumar told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday that "There is no question of loss to KSRTC since the State Government would reimburse the travel fares of the women passengers" and termed the scheme "a boon for KSRTC."
Adding, he said, earlier the load in KSRTC buses used to run on 70 percent occupancy but it has gone upto 90 percent.
