The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is completely owned by the state government and connects the southern region of Karnataka to other states and provides routes to towns and cities there. Recently, they issued a free travel scheme for women with certain terms and conditions. Here’s everything you need to know about the Shakti scheme and how women can avail of it.
Karnataka Government Introduced Shakti Scheme For Women
ಶಾಲಾ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿನಿಯರು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ವರ್ಗದ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೆ ಎಸಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಲಕ್ಷುರಿ ಬಸ್ ಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊರತುಪಡಿಸಿ ಇತರೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಬಸ್ ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜ್ಯದೊಳಗೆ ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ನೀಡಲು ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah ಅವರ ನೇತೃತ್ವದ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆ ನಿರ್ಧರಿಸಿದೆ.
ಜೂನ್ 11 ರಂದು “ಶಕ್ತಿ” ಯೋಜನೆಗೆ ಚಾಲನೆ ನೀಡಲಿದ್ದು, ಶೇ. 94 ರಷ್ಟು… pic.twitter.com/EhcX7FtZAb
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 2, 2023
On Monday, the transport department of Karnataka introduced Shakti Scheme which enables women to travel by bus for free. It is one of the five guarantees that the new government made to the residents of Karnataka. Additionally, they have specified certain terms and conditions for the scheme.
Only women having a domicile in Karnataka are eligible for the programme, which will go into action on June 11. In addition to this, girl students and linguistic minorities will be covered in the scheme. Recipients will need to present a government-issued photo ID with address verification for the first three months.
They will be given zero-fare tickets by bus drivers. After that, recipients must apply for Shakti smart Cards (called after the scheme’s name) on the Seva Sindh website of the government.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi Takes A Bus In Bengaluru, Talks To Women Passengers About Transportation Issues
How To Apply For Shakti Smart Card?
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a Shakti smart card:
- Visit the official website of Seva Sindhu Portal and you will find the homepage.
- Then click on the option ‘Apply for Shakti Smart card’.
- Click on login if you are already registered, however, if you aren’t, then click on new registration.
- Then, start filling in your details in the application form and click submit.
- After successful registration, log in and apply for the ‘Shakti Smart Card’.
You can also track your application status by following these steps.
- On the homepage of the Seva Sindhu portal, you will find ‘Check Your Application Status’.
- Enter the information that is needed and click submit.
Following are the terms and conditions that you need to keep in mind while applying for the scheme.
- All four of the state’s Road Transport Corporations will be subject to the programme. The plan includes express, regular, and city bus routes.
- Only state-run bus services are free for women to use for transportation.
- Even if women travel within Karnataka, bus services to locations outside the state will not be covered by the programme.
- Moreover, luxury buses will not be covered by the programme.
- Men will have priority seating on all regular and express buses operated by KSRTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC.
- This will not apply to BMTC buses, luxury, AC, or interstate buses.
Also Read: Karnataka Man Charged ₹10 Extra For Carrying Laptop In State Transport Bus
By following these steps, women will be able to access free bus travel in Karnataka.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia