Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has assured that KSRTC will not have to shoulder the financial burden of the free travel scheme scheduled to be launched on June 15, with the state agreeing to reimburse the transport corporation for the revenue loss arising from the initiative. The government also confirmed that transgender persons will be eligible for the benefit alongside women passengers.

The assurance came after a review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, where preparations for the rollout of the scheme were discussed.

Under the mechanism being put in place, KSRTC will maintain records of eligible passengers using the scheme and periodically submit expenditure estimates to the government. The state will then compensate the corporation based on the reported figures.

Officials estimate that implementing free travel on ordinary KSRTC buses could cost the government around ₹712 crore annually. The expenditure is expected to increase substantially if the benefit is extended to higher-category services in the future.

For now, the scheme will be available only on ordinary buses. There is no proposal at present to extend the concession to fast passenger, super-fast or other premium KSRTC services.

Speaking to reporters, Transport Minister C P John said the government would bear the entire cost of the programme and that KSRTC employees need not be concerned about its financial implications. He added that the remaining operational details are expected to be finalised at the Cabinet meeting scheduled later this week.

The free travel scheme is set to come into effect across Kerala from June 15.