Tamil Nadu expands free bus travel scheme to 12,692 buses from October 2

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to launch the expanded Vettri Payanam scheme on Friday, October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. The initiative will extend free bus travel to women and transgender people on 12,692 state-run buses across the state.

Previously, the scheme covered ordinary city buses. The expansion will include express, limited-stop and deluxe services, extending the benefit to passengers in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats and hill areas.

There will be no income-based eligibility limit or cap on the number of journeys beneficiaries can make each day, according to the information provided by the government.

The expanded scheme is expected to benefit around 8.4 million women daily and facilitate more than 1.6 million one-way journeys.

The name Vettri Payanam, meaning “victorious journey”, is derived from the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The government says the expansion aims to improve access to public transport and reduce financial barriers to travel for women across Tamil Nadu.

with inputs from PTI