Key facts
- Kerala HC upheld free KSRTC bus travel for women and transgender persons
- Scheme challenged on constitutional grounds; court ruled in government's favour
- Benefit covers all KSRTC bus services across Kerala
- Kerala among few states to explicitly include transgender persons in welfare transport scheme
The Kerala High Court has upheld the state government's scheme offering free bus travel to women and transgender persons on Kerala State Road Transport Corporation services, dismissing a petition that sought to challenge the measure's legality. The ruling clears the way for the scheme to continue uninterrupted, providing significant financial relief to millions of daily commuters.
The scheme, introduced by the Kerala government as part of its social welfare agenda, had faced a legal challenge questioning whether differential fare treatment on public buses was constitutionally permissible. The High Court found in favour of the government, reinforcing the state's authority to implement affirmative welfare measures for specific beneficiaries on public transport.
Kerala has been a pioneer among Indian states in extending social protection to transgender persons, and the inclusion of the transgender community in this scheme was seen as a particularly progressive step at the time of its launch. Activists and beneficiaries welcomed the court's decision, calling it a reaffirmation of both gender equity and the constitutional right to equality.
The KSRTC, which operates an extensive network across Kerala, has faced ongoing financial challenges, and the scheme's costs are borne by the state government as a subsidy to the corporation. The ruling ensures that financial pressure on the KSRTC cannot be used as a judicial ground to challenge public welfare commitments made by elected governments, setting a significant precedent for similar schemes in other states.