Tamil Nadu has expanded the Vettri Payanam scheme to cover more government bus services, allowing women to travel without paying fares. The expanded scheme covers express, LSS, deluxe, mofussil ordinary and select hill-route buses, benefiting millions of women across the state.
The Tamil Nadu government has launched the expanded 'Vettri Payanam scheme' for women on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi on Friday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the expanded Vettri Payanam scheme on February 24, 2026.
The historic proclamation was delivered on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly under Rule 110, a procedural mechanism reserved for statements of major public importance.
The rollout is scheduled to officially begin on October 2, 2026, deliberately aligned with the national holiday of Gandhi Jayanti.
CM Vijay launched the scheme at Chennai's Koyambedu bus stop, meeting people and giving tickets to women travelling on the buses.
The scheme is named after the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party; the Vettri Payanam ("victorious journey") initiative significantly extends the state's previous free bus travel model.
The free travel scheme was first restricted to ordinary city buses, and the government later announced plans to expand it to include express, limited-stop services, and deluxe buses in corporations, municipalities, town panchayats, and hill areas in Tamil Nadu.
The expansion scheme is expected to benefit around 8.4 million women daily, facilitate over 1.6 million one-way trips, and cover around 12,692 government buses.
The expanded scheme is expected to cost the state government approximately Rs 6000 crore a year. The government also said there will be no income-based eligibility limit or cap on the number of journeys beneficiaries can make each day.
The launch of this expanded Vetri Payanam aims to ensure women across all regions can access travel opportunities without financial barriers, upholding social justice principles.
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The major change is the inclusion of additional categories of government buses. Under the expanded scheme, women will be allowed to travel 'no fare'. The expanded scheme covers eligible services including:
Express buses
Limited Stop Service (LSS) buses
Deluxe buses operating in cities and urban areas
Mofussil ordinary buses
Certain ordinary buses operating on hill routes beyond 40 km
The expanded Vetri Payanam scheme significantly extends Tamil Nadu's free public transport initiative for women. With thousands of additional government buses brought under the programme, women will have access to a wider range of bus services without paying a fare.
The expansion is expected to help reduce commuting costs and improve mobility for women travelling for work, education and other essential purposes across the state.
