Over 78 crore women passengers in Karnataka have travelled in the Road Transport Corporation buses since the launch of the Siddaramaiah-led government’s flagship Shakti scheme in June 2023.
The scheme provides free bus travel to women of Karnataka domicile on non-luxury buses of the State-run Road Transport Corporation.
The scheme means different things to different women. For the majority, Shakti is a means to save small amounts of money; for some, it is a gateway to travel and exploration across the State; for others, it is an expression of freedom.
Is the scheme accessible to all women passengers? How is the frequency in the interior parts of Karnataka? Have the promised benefits trickled down into other aspects of their lives? Are women able to trave comfortably?
The Hindu posed these questions to women passengers to get an idea of the pros and cons of this welfare scheme.
Reporting: Jahnavi TR
Production: Ravichandran N.
Video: Ravichandran N and Kumar Buradikatti
