Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces expansion of free bus travel for women in deluxe, mofussil buses
Women are currently allowed to travel free only on ordinary buses in cities and municipal areas, and in hill areas for up to 40 km; the expansion will come into effect on Gandhi Jayanti
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced on Monday that the free bus travel scheme for women, known as Vettri Payanam, will now cover deluxe, mofussil, express, and LSS buses. The expansion will take effect on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, 2026. Previously, women could only receive free rides on ordinary city buses and in hill areas for up to 40 kilometers.
Now, they can travel without paying fares on long-distance mofussil buses between districts and on buses in hill areas. There are no income restrictions or other limitations to access the scheme, making it easier for girl students to reach colleges in distant locations and for women to travel throughout the state. Transgender individuals are also eligible to benefit from the expansion.
The additional costs associated with the expansion are estimated to be around ₹6,000 crore per year.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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