The UDF-led Kerala Government on Monday launched the free bus travel scheme ‘Priyadarshini’ for women and transgender persons, joining the other south states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana in providing such services.Calling it a “decisive step”, Chief Minister VD Satheesan said many poor women who commute daily for work, including those employed as housemaids, will benefit from this initiative.The scheme will cover around 3,125 ordinary Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses, though all the KSRTC buses are not currently in service because of operational constraints.“It is a proud moment for Kerala. The initiative is not an act of generosity but a carefully designed welfare measure with significant socio-economic benefits. Women can now travel with pride, saying these are their government’s vehicles,” the CM said. He noted that the implementation of the scheme would not impose any additional financial burden on the state-run KSRTC.Under the scheme, women and transgender persons can travel free of charge on seven categories of KSRTC ordinary services — ordinary, city ordinary, limited-stop ordinary, fair-stage ordinary, town-to-town, point-to-point, and Gramavandi services.Satheesan also assured private bus operators government will take steps to address any losses arising due to the implementation of the new scheme.Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal hailed the rollout of the scheme as a landmark step for women’s empowerment, noting it as the UDF government’s first major “Indira Guarantee” implemented within a month of taking office.Meanwhile, the CPM boycotted the launch claiming the rollout was confined to ordinary KSRTC services. They argued that northern Kerala had fewer ordinary bus services as compared to districts like Thiruvananthapuram, which leaves women in the north with fewer benefits. The BJP also staged protests alleging the UDF did not implement its promise in total.