Tamil Nadu’s ‘Vetri Payanam’ scheme, which further expands fare-free travel for women on government buses, takes effect today, 2 October 2026.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is scheduled to launch the scheme today at Koyambedu in Chennai. The expanded fare-free travel facility will subsequently be available on selected government buses across Tamil Nadu.

Of the 18,413 scheduled buses operated by Tamil Nadu’s seven state transport corporations, 12,692 will be brought under the ‘Vetri Payanam’ scheme. This represents approximately 69 per cent of all scheduled government buses.

The Tamil Nadu government says that 165,312 of the 194,649 daily bus trips will be covered by the scheme. It estimates that approximately 8.432 million women will benefit each day.

Fare-free travel for women, which was already available on ordinary city buses and certain ordinary buses in hill areas, is being extended to additional types of government buses through the ‘Vetri Payanam’ scheme.

The state government says that a key objective is to reduce transport costs for female students travelling to educational institutions and for women travelling to work, seeking medical care or attending to essential needs.

The government had previously announced that the scheme would take effect on 2 October, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.