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Karnataka is planning to introduce smart cards for women under the Shakti free bus travel scheme, while the state's four transport corporations are awaiting around ₹5,651 crore in pending reimbursements.
Karnataka's Smart Cards Introduction for Women Travel
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has invited bids to select a system integrator for a common smart ticketing system that will digitally verify beneficiaries and maintain records of free journeys. The system will cover KSRTC, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC).
Shakti Travel Scheme
The Shakti scheme was launched on June 11, 2023, allowing women domiciled in Karnataka to travel free on non-AC buses operated by the four corporations. At present, conductors check a government-issued photo identity document and issue a zero-value ticket.
Between June 2023 and July 2026, the four corporations spent around ₹20,956 crore under the scheme but received approximately ₹15,305 crore in reimbursements from the state government, and left about ₹5,651 crore pending. The delay has affected the transport corporations, including their ability to make payments for diesel, spare parts and salaries.
How will Smart Ticketing System Redefine Shakti Scheme?
The proposed smart ticketing system will create a digital record for every Shakti journey, including details such as the corporation, route, service, trip, depot, vehicle, ticketing device, GPS location, and notional fare. The tender estimates around 1.9 crore Shakti beneficiaries and about 75.68 lakh free journeys every day, based on January 2026 figures. Shakti journeys reached 275.70 crore in 2025-26.
The new system will also support mobile tickets, QR codes, stored-value cards and National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC). It is planned to become interoperable with Namma Metro and K-RIDE in the future.
Journey records will be preserved for at least seven years for audit purposes. The rollout will begin with a pilot at one depot before expanding across the four corporations, with the statewide implementation expected to take around 12 months.