Azim Premji University study finds Shakti scheme transformed women’s mobility in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 6 (PTI) A study by Azim Premji University has found that Karnataka's Shakti scheme, which offers free bus travel for women, has significantly transformed women's mobility in Bengaluru.

The report—Gender, Welfare, and Mobility: Impact of Shakti Scheme on BMTC Transport Transformation—authored by economists Tamoghna Halder and Arjun Jayadev from the university's Centre for the Study of the Indian Economy, notes that the scheme has reshaped "the gendered patterns of access to the city", according to a press release issued on Thursday.

Launched on June 11, 2023, the Shakti scheme was among the pre-poll guarantees of the ruling Congress government and was implemented within a month of it coming to power. The initiative provides free travel for women across Karnataka in non-luxury government-run buses.

Women now form the majority of passengers on several of Bengaluru's busiest routes, including those passing through the Central Business District (CBD).

Analysing 2.89 crore trips made on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation capacity-operated buses between January 2023 and January 2025, the study found that women's ridership increased 2.5 times after the scheme's launch and has since stabilised at a new level where women outnumber men by an average ratio of 60:40.

This, the report states, marks a "structural shift in access to public transport." While the Shakti subsidy marginally exceeds fare revenue from non-beneficiaries, the study observes that the "overall gap is narrow relative to the scale of the scheme." In terms of geographical equity, uptake has been strongest in northern, western, and central Bengaluru. However, eastern peripheries and peri-urban, largely migrant neighbourhoods lag, possibly due to weaker BMTC coverage and the exclusion of migrant women from the scheme, it said.

The study also found a sharp rise in women riders along Metro feeder corridors. Following the Purple Line extension, some routes have shown a bus-to-metro shift, though Shakti users continue to prefer buses due to zero fares.

On social equity, the study notes, "There is no significant difference in women's ridership between the most and least SC-ST concentrated wards in Bengaluru, suggesting that access to the Shakti scheme is not contingent on the caste profile of a neighbourhood." Route-specific analysis indicates that affordable bus services have expanded women's zones of commute to areas offering better socio-economic opportunities, including the CBD, thereby enhancing access to employment, education, and healthcare.

The authors identified three key policy priorities. "There is a need to expand BMTC in terms of fleet size, frequency, and integration with the metro to absorb demand, while improving last-mile connectivity to ensure universality," said Jayadev.

Halder added, "Extending benefits to migrant women, who remain excluded despite being among the city's most mobility-constrained groups, is key to fostering inclusive urban citizenship." PTI GMS SSK