18,000 students in Mysuru district will benefit from free bus scheme

Mysuru: The announcement of a free bus travel scheme for school and college students from this academic year has come as a major relief to rural students.Around 18,000 students in Mysuru district are expected to benefit from the scheme. KSRTC began distributing free bus passes from June 12 and is also reimbursing students who had already purchased passes before the scheme was announced.Students residing in Karnataka but studying in neighbouring states, as well as those from border areas studying within Karnataka, are also covered under the scheme. Girls studying in schools and colleges were already availing free bus travel on state-run buses under the state govt’s Shakti scheme.Following strong demand from boys and other students, chief minister DK Shivakumar announced on June 3 that free bus travel would be extended to all students from this academic year.Students from school to postgraduate level can now avail free bus passes from June 12, as per govt orders. However, travel is restricted to a distance of 60 km between their home and educational institution, based on the details submitted. Travel on other routes is not permitted under the guidelines.To avail the facility, students must upload their details on the Seva Sindhu portal (https://sevasindhuservices.karnataka.gov.in/buspassservices), along with fee receipts, admission documents, and student ID cards.

Applications can be submitted online, and bus passes can be collected at special counters set up at city bus stands, KSRTC depots in taluk headquarters, and Karnataka One centres. Earlier, bus passes were issued manually, but the process has now been made fully online for ease of distribution.“The free bus travel scheme for students not only reduces expenses for parents from economically weaker sections but also enables them to spend on school bags and other needs, thereby promoting education and improving attendance,” said Mahadevaswamy, a retired high school headmaster.KSRTC divisional controller (Mysuru Rural) S T Veeresh told TOI that the corporation has ensured hassle-free distribution of passes as per govt guidelines. It has also introduced additional bus services during peak hours to benefit students and regular passengers, he said.So far, 7,347 passes have been issued in the district, with around 18,000 students expected to benefit overall.