Tamil Nadu’s expanded women’s free bus travel scheme was launched at Coimbatore’s Gandhipuram Central Bus Stand on Friday, extending zero-fare travel to all city buses and suburban services operating within an 80-km short-distance radius, according to the state government. The initiative, called Vetri Payanam, covers 2,108 buses in the Coimbatore division of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation.
Backward Classes Welfare Minister V Sampath Kumar flagged off the programme at an event organised by the Coimbatore district administration and distributed sweets and zero-fare travel tickets to women passengers. District collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar, MLAs Kanimozhi Santhosh and N M Sukumar, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja and senior transport corporation officials attended the launch.
The minister said the Coimbatore division operates across Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and the Nilgiris districts. Of the 2,108 buses covered by the expanded programme, 1,171 are city buses and 937 are suburban and ghat-route buses. Women can travel without paying fares on these services, he said.
In Coimbatore district, the scheme has been implemented on 790 buses, including 602 city buses. The expanded coverage follows Chief Minister C Josehp Vijay’s announcement that the women’s free travel programme would be extended beyond existing city services to include suburban buses operating within the specified short-distance radius.
The expansion changes the reach of the concession across the public transport network, particularly for passengers travelling between urban centres and surrounding areas. The coverage of suburban and ghat-route buses also brings routes serving hill and peri-urban locations within the scheme’s operational framework, according to the details provided at the launch.
Speaking to reporters, Sampath Kumar said drivers and conductors had been instructed to prevent derogatory behaviour towards women passengers and to ensure their safety and dignity while using the service. He also said operational delays and communication gaps on some stretches were being addressed.
The minister criticised opponents who had previously referred to the women’s free travel programme as “osi payanam”, a phrase meaning free journey. He said the government’s position was that the programme had received public support and that allegations circulated by opposition parties and on social media would not withstand the people’s verdict. He also said the administration would register victory in the coming elections.
The immediate implementation task is to ensure that passengers and transport staff receive consistent information across the 2,108 services covered by the scheme. The Coimbatore division and district administration are expected to address the operational and communication issues identified during the rollout.
