Officials from the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) say that they are still waiting for the state government’s orders on the matter of free bus passes for women.
The free bus passes for women working in the organised sector, that were to be launched by KSRTC on April 1, 2023, will not be launched anytime soon.
“We did not receive any orders from the state government regarding free bus passes. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) might be the reason behind this,” said Chandrashekar, an official from KSRTC. He said that the issuing of free bus passes might influence the public’s opinion on who to vote for. So they will not be launched anytime soon.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced the free bus passes scheme for women working in the organised sector in February 2023. The passes which were supposed to be issued from April 1, 2023, were not issued anywhere. The public is not aware that the free passes were not launched.
Kavita, who works as a bank manager, said that she was happy to hear about the free bus passes as she travels in buses frequently. “I went to the bus depot in Shantinagar to ask about the free passes in the first week of April. But I was very disappointed when they told me that they were not issuing it yet,” she said. She added that this was to be expected from the government as they usually do not stick to the promises they make.
KSRTC has 8,113 vehicles operating in the whole state of Karnataka.
A worker in KSRTC’s office said that many women and female students come to the office to inquire about the free passes. “There were a lot of them coming in at the start of the month. The numbers have reduced now but a few people still come sometimes,” she added.
The announcement of free bus passes for women working in the organised sector caused the unorganised sector to feel left out. They feel that they need it more than the organised sector. They said that the organised sector can afford normal bus passes, while they cannot.
Rama, a fruit vendor, said that she travels to a lot of places in buses to get fruits to sell. “I have to put money aside for my bus pass every month. That is the only way that I can afford it,” she said. She added that getting a free bus pass would be a huge help to her.
Chandrashekar said that the situation might change after the elections. He added, “Maybe if the same government is elected again, they might launch the free passes. But if there is a new government, we are not sure what will happen.”
