Karnataka: Shakti Scheme Records Over 100 Crore Free Rides In Five Months — More Details

Karnataka's transport department announced that the Shakti scheme, a flagship initiative offering free bus travel for women, has reached a milestone of 100 crore users since its launch in June this year.

The 'Shakti' scheme, part of the Congress' five guarantee schemes pledged to the people before the state assembly elections, has garnered widespread participation, with millions of women in Karnataka availing free transportation within the state.

Between 11 June and 22 November, an astounding total of 1,004,756,184 rides were availed by women across Karnataka through the Shakti scheme.

This numerical feat is calculated based on the number of free tickets distributed by all four state-run road corporations within the state. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) leads the chart, having provided an impressive 32.69 crore free bus rides to women.

The total value of the free tickets issued under the Shakti scheme is estimated at Rs 2,397 crores, according to the Karnataka transport department.

In the initial month alone, over 16 crore women passengers availed the Shakti scheme across all four road corporations. However, it's crucial to note that the scheme is limited to ordinary state-run bus services within Karnataka.

Exclusions encompass premium services such as Airavat, Airavat Club Class, Airavat Gold Class, Ambari, Ambari Dream Class, Ambari Utsav, Fly Bus, Vayu Vajra, Vajra, Non-AC Sleeper, Rajahamsa, and EV Power Plus AC buses.

Additionally, the Shakti scheme does not apply to buses traveling outside the state.