The Tamil Nadu government is exploring the option of broadening its free bus travel initiative for women to encompass a wider array of state-operated bus services. This potential expansion could potentially benefit an additional 28 lakh women commuters daily if it comes to fruition. Officials from the transport department revealed that they are evaluating a proposal similar to Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme, which currently offers free travel for women in almost 26,000 government buses, excluding certain premium services.
The envisioned model in Tamil Nadu would see the number of buses providing free travel for women more than double from the existing 7,300 ordinary buses to approximately 15,400 buses. This extended network would incorporate nearly 7,600 mofussil buses managed by the six divisions of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and around 500 semi-sleeper buses operated by the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC). Presently, about 70 lakh women utilize the free travel scheme daily in ordinary buses.
While no definitive decision has been made regarding the inclusion of city deluxe or other bus categories, officials are in the process of analyzing reservation data from TNSTC and SETC services to gauge the average fare paid by women passengers and evaluate the financial implications of the proposed expansion. Extending the scheme to long-distance services is anticipated to alleviate travel costs for women commuting for various purposes like work, education, healthcare, family visits, and pilgrimages, although the proposal is still in its early stages.
Officials highlighted the disparity in demand patterns between ordinary buses, commonly used by repeat commuters for multiple trips a day, and long-distance services where passengers typically undertake one or two trips. Tamil Nadu’s eight state transport corporations operate a combined fleet of about 21,500 buses, with approximately 19,100 currently in operation, catering to over 2.05 crore passengers daily. The state allocates around Rs 5,380 crore annually for fare concessions, including Rs 3,600 crore for the women’s free travel scheme and Rs 1,780 crore for student concessions.
A study by the Tamil Nadu Planning Commission revealed that the existing scheme enables women to save an average of Rs 830 per month.
