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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced an expansion of the state's free bus travel scheme for women, allowing women to travel without paying fares on more government-run bus services from October 2.
Tamil Nadu's Free Bus Travel Scheme for Women
The announcement was made by Vijay in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on August 24. Under the expanded 'Vettri Payanam' scheme, women will be allowed to travel free on Express, Limited Stop Service (LSS) and Deluxe government buses operating in cities and urban areas. The scheme will also cover ordinary government buses operating on mofussil and hill routes. This will allow women to travel between districts without paying bus fares. The expansion is expected to benefit women who depend on public transport for work, education and other daily needs.
The government has said there will be no income limit for women to use the scheme and no restriction on the number of journeys a woman can make. Transgender persons will also be eligible for free travel under the expanded scheme.
Expanded Scheme to Cost Around Rs. 6000 Crore
The government expects the expanded scheme to cost around Rs 6,000 crore every year, aiming to make public transport more affordable and accessible for women across Tamil Nadu. The existing free travel programme was earlier available mainly on ordinary government buses in urban areas. The latest expansion will bring more categories of buses under the scheme, giving women greater flexibility when travelling within cities as well as between districts.
The government has selected October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as the date for implementing the expanded facility. The scheme is expected to provide additional financial relief to women commuters, particularly those who regularly use buses for work, education and other purposes.