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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will launch the expanded Vettri Payanam scheme, which provides free bus travel for women, on Gandhi Jayanti, Friday. The expanded initiative will allow women and transgender passengers to travel free of cost on 12,692 government-operated buses across the state from October 2.
Tamil Nadu's Free Travel for Women has been Expanded
The scheme, whose name means "victorious journey", is named after the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. It aims to make public transport more accessible and reduce travel expenses for women and transgender people.
Earlier, the free bus travel facility was limited to ordinary city buses. The state government has now decided to extend the benefit to additional categories of services, including express, limited-stop and deluxe buses. The expanded scheme will cover buses operating in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and hill regions across Tamil Nadu.
There will be no income restrictions or limit on the number of beneficiaries eligible to use the scheme. Women and transgender passengers will be able to access the free travel facility for their daily journeys without having to meet any financial eligibility criteria.
How will this Initiative Benefit Women Passengers?
The expanded initiative is expected to benefit around 8.4 million women every day and support more than 1.6 million one-way journeys. By including different categories of buses and extending coverage to various regions, the government aims to make the facility available to a larger section of the population.
According to an official, the expansion is intended to ensure that women across Tamil Nadu have access to affordable and convenient public transport without financial barriers. The initiative is also aimed at promoting social justice by improving mobility and providing equal travel opportunities to women in urban, rural and hill areas.