Free bus travel under Shakti scheme redefines how women navigate Bengaluru: Report
A new report by Azim Premji University finds that free bus travel for women under the Shakti Scheme has significantly transformed gendered patterns of mobility and access across the city, writes Rekha Balakrishnan in HerStory.
Read the report here:
Report
Gender, Welfare, and Mobility: Impact of Shakti Scheme on BMTC Transport Transformation
in Azim Premji University
- Published
- Authors
Abstract
The Shakti scheme, launched by the Government of Karnataka in June 2023, represents one of the most ambitious efforts in India to reimagine welfare by providing free public transport for women. Unlike welfare programmes based on targeted cash transfers, this scheme redefines inclusion through the provision of a universal, non-cash public service mobility. This report is an assessment of the evolution of the scheme with specific regard to the BMTC’s experience. In the period studied– January 2023 to March 2025, covering both pre- and post-implementation phases – the scheme generated a significant surge in bus usage across the state. With more than 2.89 crore trips recorded, a striking transformation in mobility patterns was observed. Importantly, women riders quickly outnumbered men on many of the busiest routes– especially in the Central Business District, reflecting a major shift in access to and usage of public transport. The ridership gains were particularly sharp in the first six months following the scheme’s launch and have since stabilised, indicating a sustained and regular usage pattern among women. The report is divided into three sections. In the first, the researchers discuss state-level free travel schemes. They address certain questions about Karnataka’s experience within wider debates about universalism versus targeting in social policy. In the second, they discuss the report, its methods and findings. In the final section, they discuss some potential paths forward.