Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will formally launch the expanded free bus travel scheme for women on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, at the Koyambedu bus terminus in Chennai.

The expanded Vetri Payanam, renamed from the DMK-era Vidiyal Payanam, takes free travel beyond ordinary city buses to Express, Limited Stop Service (LSS), Deluxe, Mofussil Ordinary and Ghat Ordinary services. It covers 12,692 government buses and is projected to benefit 84.32 lakh women daily, enabling over 16 lakh one-way journeys.

Women and transgender beneficiaries can travel up to 40 km free on the newly added categories, a major widening for rural and semi-urban commuters. There is no income ceiling on beneficiaries.

Separately, Chennai Metro reported over one crore passenger trips in September 2026, the third straight month above the eight-figure mark, according to LatestLY.

The scheme matters because mobility is economic freedom. Watch how the 40-km rule and inter-city eligibility play out in the fine print.