A wider network
Tamil Nadu will expand free bus travel for women and transgender passengers from October 2. The scheme will move beyond ordinary city buses to cover deluxe, express and limited-stop services in cities, along with ordinary mofussil and ghat services operated by state transport corporations.
Scale of expansion
The expansion is expected to add 4,641 buses and bring about 25 lakh additional women into daily use of the scheme. The total daily beneficiary count is projected to approach one crore.
In Chennai, the number of buses covered by free travel is expected to rise from 1,724 to 3,633 as more service categories are included.
Budget impact
The annual allocation is expected to rise to around ₹6,000 crore, compared with about ₹4,400 crore at present. The policy has been announced without an income ceiling or a limit on the number of journeys.
