# Tamil Nadu's free bus scheme costs 6,000 crore but shows no gains yet

> The expanded Vettri Payanam Thittam promises free travel for 84 lakh women daily, but economists question whether the state can measure real returns on its investment.
- Title: Tamil Nadu's free bus scheme costs 6,000 crore but shows no…
- Summary: The expanded Vettri Payanam Thittam promises free travel for 84 lakh women daily, but economists question whether the state can measure real returns on its…
- Keywords: tamil nadu, vettri payanam thittam, free bus scheme, women's transport, public spending, state budget, c. joseph vijay, news, politics, Tamil, Nadu's, free
- Source: The Hindu — https://thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/vettri-payanam-thittam-what-is-the-economic-mileage-of-a-no-fare-bus-ride/article71572354.ece
- Author: Santosh V. Perumal
- Published: 2026-10-11T17:42:48+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tamil nadu, vettri payanam thittam, free bus scheme, women's transport, public spending, state budget, c. joseph vijay, news, politics
## Free bus rides for women in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu's Vettri Payanam Thittam expands free bus travel for women. The scheme is expected to cost an additional one thousand six hundred crore a year and a total of six thousand crore.
## Launched on Gandhi Jayanti
The latest initiative, launched on Gandhi Jayanti, is an extension of the existing women's zero-fare bus scheme, Vidiyal Payanam, covering a wider range of public transport buses.
## Eighty four lakh women expected to benefit daily
The government expects around eighty four lakh women to benefit from the Vettri Payanam Thittam every day. The question is whether the government can convert these journeys into measurable gains.
## Scheme fits within state budget but raises concerns
The expanded Vettri Payanam Thittam is about one point seven percent of revenue receipts and zero point one five percent of GSDP.
## Untargeted subsidy reaches those who don't need it
The recurring burden is that the scheme is not targeted, meaning part of the subsidy goes to those who may not need assistance. The higher the ridership, the larger the reimbursement needs.
## Transport undertakings already losing money daily
If reimbursement does not fully compensate Tamil Nadu's State Transport Undertakings, it would further weaken their financial metrics. They have been incurring daily average losses of nineteen crore.
## Government must prove measurable returns
A yearly six thousand crore commitment requires the state to transparently quantify benefits and show mobility efficiency, labour market efficiency, income generation efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

> The ultimate fare for its success is measurable SROI, not the electoral mileage.
## Key takeaway

Tamil Nadu's expanded free bus scheme for women will cost six thousand crore total but lacks measurable targets for employment, income or mobility gains.