Women passengers in KSRTC buses have increased by approximately five lakh daily following the launch of the ‘Priyadarshini’ scheme offering free travel for women in ‘Ordinary’ KSRTC buses, Minister for Transport C.P. John said on Monday.If 10 lakh women had been travelling by KSRTC buses earlier, the number has now increased to around 15 lakh, Mr. John said during the discussion on demands for grants in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had launched the scheme, open to women and transgender travelers in 3,125 ‘Ordinary’ service buses of the KSRTC, on June 15.Eligible passengers are not required to produce identification documents or certificates for availing the facility. They are instead issued ‘zero’ fare tickets so that the KSRTC can calculate the financial footprint. The scheme was announced as part of the UDF government’s ‘Indira Guarantees.’While the scheme imposes an additional liability of around ₹2 crore per day on the government, for every ₹1 spent, working women benefit by ₹3, strengthening family budgets, Mr. John said.The Transport Department was also planning to roll out a Transport Policy touching all aspects of the sector and a Vehicle Census. It is estimated that there are 1.30 crore vehicles on Kerala roads. Also, air pollution is a major concern of the Transport Department. Rackets operating in Haryana and Rajasthan are generating fake pollution-related certificates, which is a major concern, he said. Published - June 29, 2026 08:56 pm IST