Thiruvananthapuram: In a bid to ensure safety of women passengers at night, the chairman of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has issued an order instructing state bus services to drop off women passengers, travelling alone, at the spot of their convenience between 10 pm and 6 am. The order is applicable to all KSRTC buses, except ‘Minnal’ services.

Earlier, the KSRTC had issued a similar order in January 2022 allowing women to stop the bus at places as per their request during night. However, the move irked long-distance travellers as people mounting off the bus continuously disrupted their journey.

Furthermore, the rampant misuse of the order even led to several long distance travellers boycotting KSRTC super class buses. Following this, the facility was withdrawn from super class services. 

Meanwhile, the current order has been issued on the basis of the instruction by Transport Minister Antony Raju, considering the difficulties and safety issues endured by women while travelling alone at night.