Two months after its launch, the Shakti scheme, which has successfully bolstered revenue and ridership across all four road transport corporations (RTCs), has hit a roadblock; instead of the smart cards promised during the launch of the scheme, women passengers will be given regular passes.
A senior RTC official told The Hindu that the Center for e-Governance (CeG), which was initially approached for the development of smart cards for RTCs, declined the proposal. As a result, the RTC has opted to introduce passes for the Shakti scheme similar to regular bus passes.
On June 11, the newly-elected Congress government in Karnataka launched the first among five poll guarantees — the Shakti scheme, under which women can travel for free in non-premium services of State-run buses across the state. Since its launch, the scheme has garnered positive reception from female passengers. From the day of its launch until August 9 (Wednesday), 36.14 crore women passengers have utilised the initiative to travel across the State. The cumulative value of tickets purchased by these women passengers amounts to ₹ 839,81,98,874.
