Women passengers aboard a Guruvayur-bound ordinary KSRTC bus from the Ernakulam Boat Jetty Bus Stand display their free travel tickets following the launch of the free bus travel scheme for women on June 15, 2026.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
Seated by the window, S. Radhakrishnan looked bemused. He sat alongside a group of excited women passengers who had boarded the KSRTC bus the moment its doors opened at the Ernakulam Boat Jetty bus stand.The 73-year-old from Haryana had come home on vacation and was on a pilgrimage to Guruvayur. Little did he know that the bus he boarded would become part of a celebration, complete with an unplanned ride through the city.Packed to capacity, passengers found themselves pressed against strangers as they exchanged sweets and conversation. Women squeezed into the limited space with little complaint on the opening day of the Priyadarshini bus service, marking the district-level launch of the UDF government’s free bus travel scheme for women and transgender persons.
A KSRTC conductor hands over the first free ticket to Mayor V.K. Minimol during the inaugural journey marking the district-level launch of the State government’s free travel scheme for women in Kochi on Monday. Hibi Eden, MP, and T.J. Vinod, MLA, are also seen.
