Kerala's Priyadarshini scheme boosts women ridership and cuts KSRTC bus carbon emissions, says minister

Kerala Transport Minister C P John reported that the Priyadarshini scheme, offering free bus travel for women on KSRTC ordinary services, has increased daily women commuters from around 5-6 lakh to 12.71 lakh in its first month. Women now make up 66 percent of passengers. The minister also stated that KSRTC's carbon output dropped from 504 kg to 404 kg per 1,000 passengers, attributing the reduction to higher occupancy on existing routes. The scheme, launched on June 15, recorded 3.81 crore trips in one month. The government has formed a panel to study its impact on private bus operators. While the carbon reduction claim is notable, the article does not explain the methodology behind the calculation or whether it accounts for any modal shift from private vehicles or simply reflects fuller buses on existing routes.