Gender

IndiaSpend Features JJN Phase 1 Study on Shakti Scheme’s Impact on Women’s Urban Mobility

12 December 2025
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Drawing on JJN's research, IndiaSpend quotes Renjini Rajagopalan, Research Lead, Centre for Gender Analysis at JustJobs Network, on Karnataka’s fare-free public transport scheme, Shakti Yojane. In the article, she highlights the scheme's role in expanding women’s autonomy, while emphasising the need for improved service frequency and planning.

JustJobs Network’s 2024 study on Karnataka’s fare-free public transport scheme, Shakti, has been featured by IndiaSpend in its article on women’s access to gender-responsive urban mobility, highlighting both the scheme’s transformative potential and its limitations.

The JJN study, undertaken in collaboration with the Fiscal Policy Institute, Government of Karnataka, found that fare-free travel quickly increased women’s mobility, savings, independence, and confidence, especially for low-income users. It also led to more frequent trips for work, education, healthcare, errands, and leisure, with saved money used for essential household needs.

However, higher ridership also caused overcrowding, longer waits, and some rude or exclusionary behaviour, highlighting the need to expand capacity alongside free fares. 

Drawing on JJN’s research, Renjini Rajagopalan, Research Lead, Centre for Gender Analysis at JustJobs Network, points to the tangible economic gains women experience through fare-free travel:

🗨️ “Both regular salaried and self-employed women reported on average saving over Rs 1,000 per month which is reinvested into household expenses such as food and children’s education.”

JJN’s Phase 1 study also shows that Shakti has expanded women’s autonomy beyond work-related travel:

🗨️ “A majority of women are now able to afford ‘non-work’ travel, including access to healthcare, pilgrimages, or other forms of recreation.”

At the same time, JJN’s research cautions that fare-free transport must be accompanied by capacity expansion and better planning to sustain its benefits — especially for low-income women whose travel needs differ from standard commute patterns:

🗨️ “For example, domestic workers may have to travel relatively short distances many times a day; this requires short distance stops and higher frequency buses.”

Fare-free transport can be a powerful tool for women’s economic and social empowerment when designed and implemented with gender-responsive planning.

Download JJN’s Phase 1 Study on Shakti Yojane here.

Download JJN’s Phase 2 Study on Shakti Yojane here.

Read the full article on IndiaSpend here.