Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 7: Nearly three years after the launch of the flagship Shakti scheme enabling free bus travel for women, the Karnataka government is set to roll out personalised smart cards for beneficiaries, as part of a wider National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)-based ticketing system across state-run transport corporations.
Under the proposed system, any NCMC cardholder will be able to travel seamlessly across buses operated by the state’s four transport corporations. Beneficiaries of the Shakti scheme, meanwhile, will be issued dedicated ‘Shakti cards’ to access free travel, a move that had been envisaged alongside the scheme’s initial rollout.
To obtain the Shakti card, beneficiaries will need to submit a formal application. Their details will be digitally captured through e-KYC verification and linked to the card, enabling seamless validation during travel without the need for manual ticketing.
Once implemented, the system is expected to record usage by beneficiaries in real time, improving transparency, preventing misuse, and ensuring accurate identification. Officials said the initiative aligns with state government directives to strengthen data capture and streamline service delivery under welfare schemes.
A tender has been floated to appoint a transaction advisor who will assess requirements and guide the selection of a system integrator for implementation across the four transport corporations.
Sources indicated that the project is targeted for completion within 10 months from the appointment of the transaction advisor. However, passenger-level rollout is expected to begin within six months in a phased manner, with initial deployment likely across select corporations before being expanded statewide.
The NCMC-based system will also integrate broader smart mobility features, allowing commuters to use a single card across multiple modes of transport in the future through simple recharge.
Transport officials said the initiative would reduce dependence on manual verification, enhance operational efficiency, improve commuter convenience, and enable better monitoring of subsidy-driven schemes such as Shakti.