Goa’s Kadamba Transport Corporation will double the subsidy on monthly bus passes to 20% and raise the subsidy on annual passes to 30% from November 1, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced at the corporation’s 46th anniversary celebration in Panaji.
The revised system will also change how pass validity is calculated. Instead of running from the first day of one month to the first day of the next, a monthly pass will remain valid for 30 punched days. The annual pass will cover 365 punched days, according to the announcement.
Sawant said the change was intended to address a recurring concern among commuters who may not use their passes for all days in a calendar month. “Commuters usually claim that sometimes eight to ten days would go unused in a month,” he said, adding that the validity of each card should be linked to the number of punches rather than fixed calendar dates.
The corporation will also expand advance card booking across bus stands in Goa. Sawant urged commuters to use the facility, which is expected to make it easier for passengers to obtain passes before beginning their travel period. The announcement did not specify the full rollout schedule or the technology that will be used to track punched days.
The changes come as KTC continues to operate as a public transport provider while facing the financial pressures associated with fuel and fleet operations. Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said the corporation was not a profit-making organisation and had not increased bus fares despite rising fuel prices.
Sawant also said the government’s Mhaji Bus scheme was intended to bring KTC services on a par with private bus operators. He said KTC was not in competition with private buses and appealed to residents to join the scheme. The chief minister further praised KTC drivers for maintaining discipline and said buses were kept clean, while claiming that almost 99.9% of drivers were sober and responsible while on duty.
Fleet replacement is another pending issue for the corporation. KTC chairperson Ulhas Tuenkar said at least 150 buses would be scrapped in 2027 under the 15-year vehicle policy. The planned scrapping will make fleet replacement and service continuity important operational issues for the state transport system.
The new pass benefits are scheduled to begin on November 1. KTC’s next implementation steps will include making advance card booking available across bus stands and applying the revised 30-day and 365-day validity system to monthly and annual passes.
