Indian National Congress leader and Kerala Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) CR Mahesh has sponsored 50 Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) travel cards for students of the Shanmukhavilasam Higher Secondary School (SVSS), Clappana, who were denied concession on their school route, which is only served by a single bus.

According to KSRTC rules, no concessions will be provided if just one bus operates on a specific route. This resulted in high travel expenditures for the students, forcing parents and school officials to contact the MLA for assistance.

In response, the MLA issued travel cards just for the students. This is the first time in Kerala that KSRTC cards have been provided only to students in school, Mathrubhumi reports.

Each card costs Rs 100 and requires a prepaid balance for travel. According to the MLA, Rs 400 has been credited to each card initially.

The Chalo software links the travel cards to the parents' mobile numbers, allowing them to monitor when, where, and which bus their children are taking.

The programme was inaugurated at the school, with MLA CR Mahesh formally launching the trip card system. S Jayachandran, the School Manager, presided over the occasion.