States » SouthPosted at: Oct 2 2026 2:53PM


Vijay launches expanded free bus travel scheme for women, issue tickets

Chennai, Oct 2 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister launched 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 Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.
In line with the announcement made in the State Assembly in August, Vijay, dressed in white silk dhoti and silk full sleeves, formally launched the expansion of the scheme by issuing free travel tickets in few buses heading for various destinations. He also interacted with the women passengers, who took selfies, shook hands with them, and the elders greeted and blessed him.
The scheme is an expansion of the existing free bus travel sceme for women and was 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 was 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.
As many as 12,695 government buses operated by the 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 a total of 1,68,500 scheduled single trips per day benefitting around 84.32 lakh women daily.
Ahead of today's launch, the government completed the integration of the scheme with electronic ticketing machines in the buses, and conducted trial runs.
The expanded programme would 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.
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Tags: #Vijay launches expanded free bus travel scheme for women# issue tickets
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