Tamil Nadu has reduced fares for male passengers on 340 government-operated express, deluxe suburban and hill-area buses after shifting them to the ordinary-fare category under the expanded Magalir Vidiyal Payanam, or women’s free bus travel, programme. The change lowers ticket prices by between Rs 10 and Rs 15, depending on the distance travelled.
The affected buses operate across districts and between major towns. They have been brought into the ordinary-fare classification as part of the expansion of the women’s free travel programme, which allows women to travel without charge on specified government buses.
According to state transport corporation officials cited in the report, the programme now covers 12,695 buses. These include ordinary, deluxe and express city buses, as well as suburban ordinary-fare buses operating between districts and in hill areas. Women are permitted to travel free on ordinary-fare services covering distances of more than 40 kilometres in hill regions.
The expansion has increased the number of eligible suburban ordinary-fare buses operating between districts and important cities. The number of such services has risen from 2,050 to 2,390, with the additional 340 buses being transferred from the express or deluxe suburban category to ordinary fares.
For male passengers, the reclassification means that the same services now carry lower fares than before. The exact reduction varies according to the distance travelled, with transport officials stating that the saving ranges from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per ticket. The report does not provide revised fares for individual routes.
The policy also changes how passengers identify eligible buses. Services covered by the women’s free travel programme carry stickers bearing the name ‘Vettri Payanam’ and display the programme on digital route boards. The markings are intended to help passengers distinguish the buses included in the scheme.
The women’s free travel initiative was originally introduced on ordinary-fare buses and has subsequently been expanded under the Vettri Payanam name. The expanded coverage includes ordinary and deluxe city buses in metropolitan and urban areas, ordinary suburban buses operating between districts, and ordinary buses serving hill routes.
The transport officials’ account indicates that the fare change is linked to the service category rather than a separate, general reduction across the state’s bus network. Passengers using the 340 reclassified services therefore stand to benefit, while the report does not state that fares have changed on other categories of government buses.
The immediate operational details available are the revised number of eligible services, the introduction of the additional 340 buses and the distance-based reduction for male passengers. The transport corporations’ implementation of the Vettri Payanam markings and digital displays will determine how easily commuters identify the buses covered by the expanded programme.
