Chennai, September 2026 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday reviewed preparations for the expanded free bus travel scheme for women, which is scheduled to be launched across the state on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. The scheme, named Vetri Payanam, was earlier known as Vidiyal Payanam.
The review meeting was held at the Secretariat in Chennai and focused on operational and technical arrangements required for the smooth rollout of the expanded programme. The initiative will extend free travel facilities beyond the existing eligible ordinary bus services to a wider range of government-operated buses.
Under Vetri Payanam, women will be able to travel free of cost on Express, Limited Stop Service (LSS) and Deluxe buses operating in metropolitan and urban areas. The facility will also cover Mofussil Ordinary buses and Ghat Ordinary buses operating on routes beyond 40 km in hilly areas.
A total of 12,692 government buses will be brought under the expanded scheme. This represents around 69 per cent of the 18,413 scheduled buses operated by the seven State Transport Corporations. The designated buses are expected to account for about 85 per cent of scheduled single trips across the state. The government estimates that approximately 84.32 lakh women will benefit from the scheme every day.
The expansion is intended to improve access to public transport for women travelling to workplaces, educational institutions, hospitals and other essential destinations. It will also extend the benefit to women living in rural, semi-urban, suburban and hilly areas who depend on government buses for regular travel.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that the integration of Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) in buses covered by the scheme has been completed. System testing and verification are scheduled to be completed by September 25, followed by a trial run on September 27 to identify and resolve any technical or operational issues before the formal launch.
The meeting reviewed preparedness at bus depots, deployment of transport staff, ticketing arrangements, passenger awareness measures and mechanisms to monitor implementation. Officials were directed to ensure that women passengers do not face difficulties once the expanded facility becomes operational.
Vijay had announced the expansion in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on August 24 under Rule 110. The government said the decision was aimed at ensuring that women and girl students do not miss employment, education or other opportunities because of transportation costs.
The existing programme allows women to travel free on eligible ordinary city and town buses, along with certain ordinary services in hilly areas. The expansion will substantially widen the range of services covered under the scheme.
The government has described the initiative as a measure intended to improve women’s mobility and reduce the financial burden associated with daily transportation. Following the October 2 rollout, the state transport authorities are expected to monitor implementation and passenger response while addressing operational issues that may emerge during the initial phase.
