Karnataka To Roll Out Smart Cards For Women Bus Passengers Under Shakti Scheme

The Karnataka government has announced plans to introduce smart cards for women beneficiaries of the Shakti Scheme , a move aimed at improving the implementation of the state's free bus travel programme and making access to the service more convenient.

Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said that more than three crore people are expected to receive the smart cards. Under the proposed system, women will be issued the cards free of cost , enabling them to travel on state-run buses under the Shakti Scheme. Men will also have the option to obtain similar cards by paying a fee, comparable to a metro card system.

According to the minister, the cards will function as rechargeable travel cards and will need to be topped up once the available balance is exhausted. Since nearly three crore cards are required, the government plans to invite tenders for their production. Officials have also been directed to begin the distribution process through a pilot project before expanding the initiative across the state.

Suresh formally assumed charge as Karnataka's Transport Minister on Monday and held a series of review meetings with officials. He later visited the headquarters of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and reviewed the functioning of the transport department with senior officials from the state's four transport corporations — KSRTC, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).

Highlighting the impact of the Congress government's welfare measures, the minister said the Shakti Scheme has significantly benefited women across Karnataka. He noted that the programme has led to an approximately 40 per cent increase in passenger traffic since its introduction, with crores of women availing themselves of the free travel facility.

To further strengthen public transportation, the state government plans to purchase 1,000 new buses using its own funds. In addition, 4,000 electric buses will be procured in phases with financial assistance from the central government and distributed among the four transport corporations.

The minister also stressed the importance of women's safety and security . He directed officials to accelerate the installation of Vehicle Location Tracking Systems (VLTS) in private passenger vehicles, including taxis and commercial cars. More than one lakh vehicles have already been fitted with the system, and authorities have been instructed to complete installation in the remaining four to five lakh vehicles within the next three to four months .