The Karnataka government has rolled out free bus travel for all school and college students on services operated by the state's four transport corporations. Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh announced the decision on Thursday, June 11 and said full refunds will be given for students who have already purchased bus passes for the current academic year.
The decision expands the state’s student travel benefits beyond the Shakti scheme, under which free bus travel was available only to female students. The government has now extended the facility to male students as well.
The scheme will cover buses operated by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC). A government order issued on Thursday directed the immediate implementation of the scheme.
Suresh said guidelines for the initiative have been finalised and will be released shortly. Students will be able to apply for free bus passes through the Seva Sindhu portal as well as Karnataka One and Bengaluru One centres. Applications will be verified before passes are issued.
The government has estimated the annual cost of the scheme at Rs 286.08 crore. An additional Rs 15 crore towards processing charges and contributions to the accident relief fund will also be borne by the state.
Existing eligibility conditions for student bus passes, including educational qualification requirements, distance limits and validity periods, will continue to remain in force.
The government has also directed the four transport corporations to refund the full amount paid by students who purchased concessional bus passes before the scheme came into effect. The refunds must be processed within 15 days. Official figures show that 19,792 student passes were issued between May 30 and June 9.
The benefit will also extend to Karnataka residents studying in educational institutions located in neighbouring states, as well as students residing in border areas of neighbouring states who are enrolled in institutions within Karnataka.