Palakkad: A major transport industry group has appealed to the newly formed UDF government in Kerala to revisit its policy providing free bus travel for women on KSRTC services. The body warns that the initiative could have a devastating impact on the private transport sector.

The All Kerala Bus Operators Organisation expressed concerns that the decision was made without engaging private stakeholders. They argue that the move risks destabilising the state’s broader public transport infrastructure and could jeopardise the jobs of hundreds of thousands of private bus workers.

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T Gopinathan, the organisation’s state general secretary, described the policy as "unilateral”. He cautioned that the private bus industry faces a potential collapse if female passengers migrate exclusively to state-run services.

"If women commuters are drawn away from private buses due to the free travel scheme, private operators may be left with only students as passengers. That would seriously affect the viability of our services," Gopinathan stated during a press briefing.

He urged the government to conduct formal consultations with private operators before finalising such a major policy shift.

"The government's unilateral move to introduce free travel for women will weaken Kerala's public transport sector. The industry itself could disappear overnight if things move in this direction," Gopinathan alleged.

In addition, the organisation is calling for a dedicated financial package for the private sector to mitigate the economic fallout of the scheme. The free travel initiative was a key campaign promise made by Rahul Gandhi as part of the five guarantees leading up to the April 9 Assembly elections, which saw the Congress-led UDF secure a major victory.

PTI