As Karnataka’s Shakti scheme, which offers free bus travel for women, approaches a staggering 500 crore tickets within two years of its rollout, a social media post has sparked a fresh debate over who is benefitting from the scheme.
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Take a look at the post
The discussion began with an X post by a user named Avinash, who raised questions about salaried professionals taking advantage of the free service. “I see lots of women working in IT jobs earning good salaries taking free BMTC buses,” he wrote. “When I asked a friend of mine, she said she's saving ₹1,000 to ₹1,300 per month commuting between HSR Layout and Bellandur. My question is, will they really switch to the Metro Blue Line once it opens?”
The post quickly went viral, triggering a wide range of reactions from users across the platform. While some expressed skepticism about whether women would opt for the upcoming Blue Line metro, especially along the congested Outer Ring Road corridor, others defended the use of the scheme regardless of income level.
{{/usCountry}}The post quickly went viral, triggering a wide range of reactions from users across the platform. While some expressed skepticism about whether women would opt for the upcoming Blue Line metro, especially along the congested Outer Ring Road corridor, others defended the use of the scheme regardless of income level.
{{/usCountry}}One user argued that the high cost of metro travel could discourage daily commuters. “If someone travels from Hebbal to Electronic City using the Yellow and Blue lines, it could cost ₹100 to ₹120 one way. Who would spend ₹200 to ₹250 per day just on commuting?” the user asked.
Another commenter shared a real-life example from their workplace, noting, “My women colleagues take the metro till MG Road and then hop on a BMTC bus for the last leg of the journey — of course, using free tickets. We men just walk the final stretch, which is less than a kilometer. Hardly seen any of them skip the free ride.”
However, the criticism didn’t go unchallenged. Several users highlighted that paying taxes entitles every citizen to benefit from government schemes. One such post stated, “If she’s earning a high salary, she’s likely paying 30% in income tax. That’s the money being used for welfare schemes. Technically, she’s already paid for the bus ride and more.”
Others pointed out the broader context of rising living expenses, saying, “She may be saving ₹1,300 on travel, but have you considered how much monthly costs have gone up overall?”
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