Chennai, October 1 (Daily Kiran) : On October 2, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will inaugurate the expanded Vetri Travel Scheme for women in Chennai, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. The launch will take place at the Koyambedu bus terminus.
This initiative extends free travel not only on regular government city buses but also on express, LSS, and deluxe buses. The move aims to enhance public transportation accessibility for women and transgender individuals across the state.
Originally introduced by the previous DMK government, the current administration has renamed the initiative to Vetri Travel Scheme, broadening its scope to include new categories of buses.
According to the provided data, the expanded scheme will encompass 12,692 government buses. It is expected to benefit around 8.4 million women daily, facilitating over 1.6 million one-way trips.
However, questions arise regarding the distance passengers can travel without paying a fare. There is uncertainty about whether this service will allow travel between cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, and Nagercoil.
Details on whether passengers can switch buses during their journey without incurring costs remain unclear. Understanding the operational distance of each bus service and the distance limits for free travel under the scheme is crucial.
Typically, government express buses operate over distances ranging from 30 to 100 kilometers, while LSS buses cover about 30 to 40 kilometers, and deluxe buses travel approximately 30 to 50 kilometers.
The routes highlighted for the scheme’s expansion include Tiruchi-Dindigul, Thanjavur-Nagapattinam, and Coimbatore-Palani, among others. Furthermore, potential bus services connecting Chennai to Chengalpattu, Dindigul, Madurai, and other regions have been mentioned.
Despite this information, it remains uncertain whether the entire journey will be free or how many times a passenger may need to change buses.
As the scheme launches, clarity on which bus services will offer free travel, the limits of this service, and ticketing procedures will be vital for planning journeys. Women traveling outside their local areas will also need route information to determine which portions of their trips fall under the free bus travel initiative.
The goal of this expansion is to make more government bus services accessible to beneficiaries, enhancing the already available free travel option on city buses.
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