Clutching a copy of her Aadhaar card, Parvathamma was waiting for the conductor to issue her a free ticket on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus in Shivamogga town in south Karnataka. She was travelling to Holalkere in Chitradurga district in central Karnataka.
“The journey would have cost me ₹70. Now I travel free,” said a visibly elated Parvathamma, in her 70s. With the money saved, “I spend on some betel leaves and snacks for the journey.”
At Bengaluru, Kausar and her group of 10 women, all from the same family, were at the KSRTC bus terminal in Majestic, waiting for their changeover bus to Mysuru. They had just returned from their first women-only trip to Murugamalla Dargah in Chintamani in Kolar district. She said the group saved ₹2,000-₹3,000 on the trip as they did not have to spend on tickets. They plan to go on more such trips.
