TN Expands Free Bus Travel For Women To Express, Deluxe Services From Oct 2

CHENNAI — The Tamil Nadu government has decided to expand its free bus travel scheme for women to several additional categories of government buses, with the revised service scheduled to take effect from October 2.

Announcing the expansion in the Legislative Assembly under Rule 110 on Monday, Chief Minister S Joseph Vijay stated that women will be permitted to travel free of cost on express, Limited Stop Service (LSS), and deluxe government buses operating in cities and urban areas under the first phase of the rollout.

The free travel benefit will also be extended to ordinary-fare government buses operating on mofussil and hill routes, enabling women passengers to undertake inter-district journeys across the state without paying fares.

The Chief Minister stated that the scheme carries no income cap and imposes no limits on the number of trips passengers can take. The initiative also fully includes members of the transgender community.

The expansion of the welfare measure will entail an annual expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore from the state exchequer.

Highlighting the broader objectives of the initiative, named Vetri Payanam, the Chief Minister described the move as an essential public investment aimed at supporting families and daily commuters.

“Vetri Payanam is not just a free bus ride. It is a social investment securing a student's education, a worker's livelihood, and a mother's household security. No woman in Tamil Nadu should lose an opportunity due to commute costs,” the Chief Minister said.