Bengaluru: In a milestone for the ‘Shakti’ scheme launched by the Congress Government, statistics have revealed that more than 16 Crore women passengers have availed themselves of the freebie. After completing its first month, the scheme has demonstrated its impact on empowering women across the state, as reported by the Karnataka State Transport Department. However, alongside its achievements, the scheme has raised concerns over its financial burden and implementation challenges.
During the past month, a staggering 16.73 Crore women passengers embarked on their free journeys, utilising the state-operated transportation services.
Among the state-run transportation services, the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (BMTC) buses stood out as the most popular on average for women passengers. Over five crore women commuters availed themselves of the scheme on these buses.
On July 4, in particular, the scheme witnessed its highest participation, with over 1.2 crore passengers choosing to travel on state-run buses. Remarkably, of this number, 70.15 lakh were women, constituting 58.43% of the total passengers that day.
Taking into account the ticket value for women passengers over the course of the past month, the Transport Department estimated the Karnataka Government’s losses to be Rs. 401.94 Crore. This substantial financial burden has raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the scheme and its potential impact on other sectors requiring funding.
While the initiative aims to enhance women’s mobility, the financial burden it imposes may strain the state’s resources, potentially affecting investments in other crucial areas, such as infrastructure development and overall service improvements in the transportation sector.
Furthermore, with a substantial portion of their passenger base no longer paying for tickets, the transport corporations will face financial challenges in meeting operational costs, maintenance, and investments in service improvements. This reduction in revenue could potentially impact the overall quality and sustainability of the transportation services provided.
It is to be noted that when there was instances of anarchy within buses, the Transport Minister brushed it off as an initial rush caused by the popularity of the scheme as it was just introduced. Instead of promising new buses, Ramalinga Reddy, the Transport Minister had advised the women to “plan their travel”. Thereby, implying that the scheme is not suited for the long run.
Additionally, the overwhelming response to the ‘Shakti’ scheme has created imbalances in service provision. The increased demand on certain routes, especially those predominantly travelled by women passengers, lead to overcrowding. Without extra buses in service, students, office goers and business persons have also faced extra inconvenience due to overcrowding issues.
Sustaining a scheme of this magnitude requires careful planning, continual evaluation, and potential adjustments to strike a balance between affordability, revenue generation, and service quality.
The long-term viability of the ‘Shakti’ scheme may depend on finding alternative revenue streams like hike in excise, and ensuring its alignment with broader transportation goals.
While the ‘Shakti’ scheme has undeniably enhanced the free mobility of women, it is essential to address the concerns raised by the financial burden and implementation challenges associated with the initiative.
Striking a balance between empowering women and managing the scheme’s impact on resources and service quality will be crucial for its long-term success in creating positive change while minimising any adverse effects.