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CM Vijay Launches Vetri Payanam: Free Bus Travel for Women, Students, Transgenders Expands
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News18•02-10-2026, 14:44
CM Vijay Launches Vetri Payanam: Free Bus Travel for Women, Students, Transgenders Expands
- •Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay launched the expanded Vetri Payanam scheme on October 2, offering free bus travel for women, girl students, and transgender passengers across a wider range of government buses.
- •The scheme now includes Express, Limited Stop Service (LSS), Deluxe, Mofussil Ordinary, and eligible Ghat Ordinary services, moving beyond just ordinary city and town buses.
- •Approximately 84.32 lakh women are expected to benefit daily from the expanded scheme, covering 12,692 government buses (69% of the state's scheduled fleet).
- •Eligible passengers will receive a ZERO Ticket for every journey, with conductors instructed to record origin and destination details, and a helpline (149) available for complaints.
- •The scheme is temporarily excluded from Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts due to by-elections, with implementation planned after the election process concludes.
Key Questions Answered
The expanded scheme covers ordinary city and town buses as well as Express, Limited Stop Service (LSS), Deluxe, Mofussil Ordinary, and Hill Ordinary services operating beyond 40 km, encompassing 12,692 government buses.
Eligible passengers travel free of cost but must be issued a mandatory ZERO Ticket for every journey. Conductors use Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) to record passenger details, or issue manual tickets if the ETM fails.
The scheme is not being implemented in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts for the time being because the model code of conduct for ongoing by-elections is in force there. It will be rolled out after the election process is completed.
