TN free bus scheme now also includes deluxe, express fleet

 TN free bus scheme now also includes deluxe, express fleet 

03.10.2026

Chennai: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay Friday inaugurated the expansion of Tamil Nadu’s women’s free bus travel scheme, ‘Vettri Payanam’, at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Koyambedu, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. The CM boarded a deluxe bus and issued zero-fare tickets through handheld electronic ticketing machines to women passengers. Electronic display boards on eligible buses also carried ‘Vettri Payanam’ in Tamil to help passengers identify them. 

The expansion brings express, LSS and deluxe buses in metropolitan and urban areas, mofussil ordinary buses and ghat ordinary buses operating on hill routes beyond 40km under the zero-fare facility for women and transgenders. According to a govt release dated Sept 21, 12,692 buses operated by seven state transport undertakings will be covered—69% of their 18,413 scheduled buses. Of 1,94,649 scheduled single trips, 1,65,312, or 85%, will be covered. 

About 84.32 lakh women are expected to benefit daily. For longer inter-district journeys, women can use successive eligible services and change buses where required. “The normal buses which are free for women are not usually available at night. Extending free travel to deluxe and other buses will be beneficial,” said Jennifer, a Mogappair resident, waiting at CMBT to catch a glimpse of the CM. The expansion builds on the ‘Magalir Vidiyal Payanam’scheme introduced in 2021, under which women could travel free on ordinary town buses, including MTC services in Chennai, and ordinary ghat buses on hill routes up to 40km.