Thiruvananthapuram, June 18 -- Women form 64% of the ridership in Kerala State Road Transport Corporation's (KSRTC) "ordinary" class of buses following the implementation of the Priyadarshini free ride scheme on June 15, up from 50% last week, top officials said on Wednesday.

The UDF government rolled out the scheme on June 15, allowing women and transgender persons free rides in the ordinary class of KSRTC buses as part of its pre-election promise. The burden of running the scheme, amounting to around Rs.800 crore annually, will be borne by the state government, officials had said. There are around 3,100 "ordinary" KSRTC services in the state, out of 4,500 total services.

Data released by the state transport department on Wednesday sho...