Karnataka to add 5,000 new buses to ease Shakti scheme pressure

Bengaluru : In a major move to strengthen public transport and ease heavy passenger congestion following the implementation of the state’s flagship Shakti scheme, the Karnataka government has announced the addition of 5,000 new buses across the state.

Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh said on Monday, June 8, that the buses will be inducted in a phased manner across the four state transport corporations—KSRTC, BMTC, KKRTC, and NWKRTC.

He said the government has approved the procurement of 5,000 buses, of which 1,000 will be directly purchased using state funds, while the remaining 4,000 will be electric buses acquired with central government support. These buses will be distributed among the four transport corporations based on passenger demand.

The announcement came after a review meeting with senior officials of the transport departments, where the increasing passenger load on state buses was discussed. Officials said bus usage has risen by nearly 40% after the launch of the Shakti scheme, which provides free travel for women.

To further streamline implementation, the government will issue a completely free “Shakti Smart Card” for more than three crore women beneficiaries. The card will help in accurate tracking of travel data and improve service management. A tender process for card production will be initiated soon, followed by a pilot project before statewide rollout.

For male passengers, the government will introduce rechargeable smart cards on the lines of the Namma Metro system, allowing users to pay and top up fares digitally.

The minister also stressed that passenger safety remains a top priority, especially for women and girls. He directed officials to speed up the installation of Vehicle Location Tracking System (VLTS) in all commercial passenger vehicles, including taxis.

Officials said over one lakh vehicles in the state are already equipped with VLTS, and the system will be expanded to cover an additional four to five lakh vehicles within the next three to four months.

The government believes that the expansion of bus fleets, combined with digital ticketing systems and safety upgrades, will significantly improve efficiency and passenger experience in Karnataka’s public transport network.