12-07-2025
Transport Minister to launch 200 audio-enabled buses for the visually impaired in Mysuru
In a significant step towards inclusive public transportation, 200 buses of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) with devices that will assist visually-impaired persons will be rolled out in Mysuru.
Minister for Transport of Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy will launch the new initiative on Monday, July 14, and the concept entails installation of an audio device on buses which will be activated by the users through a remote key to give it the route numbers and other details.
Pushpa Amarnath, vice-chairperson of the Karnataka State Guarantee Scheme Implementation Committee, told media persons here on Saturday that this initiative was being taken up in collaboration with BIZ India, and will help visually-impaired persons to independently board the buses plying to the routes of their choice.
She said it is only the Congress and its leadership which can conceive of such ideas and implement socially inclusive projects. She also credited Mr. Reddy for taking the initiative.
The event, scheduled for 1 p.m., will coincide with the celebration of the Shakti scheme reaching 500 crore free rides for women across Karnataka, said Ms. Amarnath. To mark this achievement, a special event titled Mahila Shakti Sambrahma will be held in Mysuru, she added.
She credited Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for the success of the Shakti scheme, describing it as a 'gift to the women of Karnataka', and a symbol of newfound mobility and dignity.
'Though we were not around when the country gained independence, women in Karnataka are now experiencing commuting freedom — the freedom to travel without fear, with confidence and self-reliance,' said Ms. Amarnath.
The Shakti Scheme has cost the government ₹776.8 crore so far in Mysuru district since its launch two years ago, while the expenditure incurred across the State was in excess of ₹12,733 crore, she added.
