T’puram: Transport minister C P John has warned of stringent disciplinary action against KSRTC employees found misusing the state’s Priyadarshini free travel scheme for women, following the detection of ticketing fraud involving conductors who allegedly issued zero-value tickets to male passengers.The warning comes after KSRTC served notices to three conductors accused of collecting fares from male passengers while issuing them Priyadarshini tickets intended exclusively for women beneficiaries. The alleged fraud was uncovered during surprise inspections conducted on KSRTC buses.A conductor attached to the Pathanapuram depot in Kollam was among those booked after inspectors found that he had issued a Priyadarshini ticket to a male passenger instead of a regular Rs 18 ticket.
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Officials also discovered an excess Rs 40 in his cash bag, strengthening suspicions of fare misappropriation.John said the govt would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards any attempt to misuse the women’s free travel initiative. “The scheme was new, and a brief period was allowed initially to correct mistakes. That phase is over. Anyone found indulging in such malpractice will face immediate suspension, followed by dismissal, if necessary,” the minister said.Emphasizing that the Priyadarshini scheme is a women’s empowerment initiative rather than merely a KSRTC programme, John said any attempt to undermine its credibility would invite strict disciplinary action. “We will not allow anyone to sabotage it,” he said.The minister, however, praised the overwhelming majority of KSRTC employees for successfully implementing the scheme. According to him, more than 99% of the workforce has cooperated sincerely, contributing to an estimated 80% increase in women passengers since the scheme was launched last month.He said women commuters were being treated with dignity by KSRTC staff and stressed that only a small section of employees had been found involved in irregularities.Following the latest incidents, KSRTC has instructed vigilance inspectors to intensify inspections on Priyadarshini services, particularly in Kollam, where the scheme records one of its highest passenger volumes along with Thiruvananthapuram. Officials suspect similar irregularities may have occurred on other routes.Responding to concerns over overcrowding after the introduction of the free travel scheme, John said the surge in passengers was expected during the initial phase. He said KSRTC’s immediate priority was to ensure safe transportation and that drivers and conductors had been instructed to operate services cautiously.The minister also defended the govt’s decision to hire private buses on lease for KSRTC operations during the upcoming Onam and Sabarimala seasons. He said the corporation faced a shortage of buses due to inadequate fleet expansion over the past decade and the ageing of existing vehicles.Appealing to private bus owners to participate in the initiative, John assured them that the entire daily ticket revenue would be handed over to the operators and insisted there would be no delay in payments, citing KSRTC’s improved financial position.
