Kerala MLA sponsors KSRTC travel cards for students after concession denied on route

Ochira (Kollam): In a relief for students of Clappana SVHSS, MLA C.R. Mahesh has sponsored 50 Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) travel cards after they were denied concession on their school route, which is served by only one bus.

KSRTC’s policy states that no concession will be granted if there is only a single bus operating on a particular route. This led to high travel costs for the students, prompting parents and school authorities to approach the MLA for help.

In response, the MLA arranged travel cards specifically for the students. This marks the first instance in Kerala where KSRTC cards have been issued exclusively to school students. Each card costs ₹100 and requires a prepaid balance for travel. According to the MLA, ₹400 has been credited to each card initially.

The travel cards are linked to the parents’ mobile numbers via the Chalo app, allowing them to track when, where, and on which bus their children are travelling.

The inauguration of the initiative took place at the school, where MLA C.R. Mahesh formally launched the travel card system. School Manager S. Jayachandran presided over the event.