Crew and riders — all women! KSRTC Pink Bus to hit Kerala roads soon

Thiruvananthapuram: Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar has announced a series of major initiatives from the MBIFL venue, chief among them the launch of a women-only Pink Bus service that will soon begin operating on Kerala roads. Both the passengers and the staff of these buses will be women.

Linked to this is the concept of a Pink Taxi, envisioned as a shared taxi service to safely drop women passengers at their destinations after they get off the bus. A project proposal worth ₹150 crore will be submitted to the United Nations for this initiative. Once the funding is approved, the Pink Bus service from the KSRTC will be rolled out across the state, he added.

The Minister also announced the ‘Kuttanadan Safari’, a project aimed at transforming Alappuzha’s inland water transport while boosting tourism. The initiative seeks to weave together water transport and local tourism, offering travellers an immersive experience of the region’s culture, art and heritage.

Passengers boarding the boat from Alappuzha will be able to watch and learn traditional activities such as coir making, palm-leaf weaving and toy crafting. The safari will also feature local toddy and traditional cuisine. The journey, which will conclude at Pathiramanal, will include cultural performances as well.