States » SouthPosted at: Oct 1 2026 2:40PM


Vijay to launch expanded free bus travel scheme for women tomorrow

Chennai, Oct 1 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will launch the expanded ‘Vetri Payanam’ (free bus travel) scheme for women at the Koyambedu bus terminus in Chennai on Friday, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The scheme is an expansion of the existing free bus travel sceme for women and is aimed at widening access to public transport, particularly for women travelling to workplaces, educational institutions, hospitals and other essential services.
Under the expanded scheme, free travel for women will be extended beyond ordinary city buses to Express, LSS and Deluxe buses operating in metropolitan and urban areas. The benefit will also cover ordinary mofussil buses and ordinary buses operating on in corporation, municipal and town panchayats and hill routes, beyond 40 km across Tamil Nadu..
As many as 12,692 government buses operated by the seven State Transport Undertakings will come under the scheme. This accounts for around 69 per cent of the 18,413 scheduled buses operated by the transport corporations. The covered services will account for
around 85 per cent of the total 1,94,649 scheduled trips.
The State government estimates that around 84.32 lakh women will benefit from the scheme every day. The government has also completed the integration of the scheme with electronic ticketing machines in the buses, with trial runs conducted ahead of tomorrow's launch.
The expanded programme is intended to remove restrictions that could prevent women from travelling longer distances by government buses. Students will be able to use the services to reach colleges located away from their homes, while working women can use them for commuting to workplaces. The scheme is also expected to facilitate free travel for medical appointments and other essential needs.
The Chief Minister had announced the expansion of the scheme in the Assembly on August 24, stating that women should not lose educational, employment or other opportunities because of the cost of public transport. The expanded scheme has been named ‘Vetri Payanam’ (Victorious Journey). The move is aimed at extending the benefits of the free travel scheme to women using a wider range of government bus services in urban areas.
The existing free bus travel scheme in Chennai for women has enabled lakhs of women to travel without paying fares on eligible government buses. The latest expansion is expected to provide greater access to public transport and reduce the financial burden on women commuters. The Government has allocated Rs. 6000 crore for this.
Tomorrow's formal launch from Koyambedu will mark the statewide rollout of the expanded benefit, bringing a larger number of government bus services under the free-travel programme for women.
UNI GV 1435
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