Bengaluru, February 12 The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the implementation of the Shakti Smart Card and the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) across the four State Transport Undertakings (STUs) to streamline fare collection and enhance transparency under the flagship Shakti free bus travel scheme for women.
The Shakti scheme is one of the five guarantees of the Congress government, offering free bus rides to women in Karnataka on non-luxury government buses.
The scheme was launched on June 11, 2023, and until now, women have been allowed to travel by showing their identity cards, especially Aadhaar cards.
This decision comes in the context of the scheme's widespread adoption, with over 660 crore free journeys undertaken by eligible women beneficiaries as of January 2026, and an average of 75.68 lakh women availing the service daily across the four state transport corporations in Karnataka – KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC.
Announcing the decision, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said, "As of January 2026, eligible women beneficiaries have undertaken more than 660 crore free journeys under the Shakti scheme, with an average of 75.68 lakh women availing free services daily across the four STUs."
He said the Cabinet had granted administrative approval for the rollout of the Shakti Smart Card and NCMC to facilitate an integrated, contactless, and interoperable fare collection system for both free and fare-paying passengers. "This volume of passengers not only underscores the operational success of the scheme but also highlights the need for transparency, financial accountability, and data-driven policy decisions enabled through a technology-based system," Patil said.
The Cabinet also approved the formation of a legally recognized entity and operational Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), jointly owned by the four STUs and a selected System Integrator (SI), for the implementation, financial management, and long-term sustainability of the Shakti Smart Card scheme.
In addition, approval was accorded to open a Common Pool Escrow Account in compliance with the Reserve Bank of India guidelines for Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) to manage passenger fund settlements and interest accruals.
KSRTC has been designated as the State Nodal Agency to manage the Common Pool Account on behalf of all participating STUs and to coordinate with banks, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders.