CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced that the State government’s free bus travel scheme for women, under Vetri payanam scheme, will be expanded from October 2 to cover more services in urban areas.
Under the expansion, women will be allowed to travel free of cost in government-operated Express, LSS and Deluxe buses running in municipalities and corporation areas in the state.
The announcement was made by the Chief Minister under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The move is aimed at extending the benefits of the free travel scheme to women using a wider range of government bus services in urban areas.
The existing free bus travel scheme in Chennai for women has enabled lakhs of women to travel without paying fares on eligible government buses. The latest expansion is expected to provide greater access to public transport and reduce the financial burden on women commuters.
Government has allocated Rs. 6000 crore for this.