Chennai, July 6 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government is examining the possibility of expanding its free bus travel scheme for women to cover a wider range of state-run bus services, a move that could benefit an additional 28 lakh women commuters every day if implemented.

Transport department officials said the proposal is being studied on the lines of Karnataka’s Shakti Scheme, which provides free travel for women in nearly 26,000 government buses while excluding air-conditioned, luxury, premium and non-AC sleeper services.

According to officials, if a similar model is introduced in Tamil Nadu, the number of buses offering free travel for women would more than double from the present 7,300 ordinary buses to around 15,400 buses. The expanded network would include nearly 7,600 mofussil buses operated by the six divisions of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and around 500 semi-sleeper buses run by the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC).

At present, nearly 70 lakh women use the free travel scheme every day in ordinary buses. Officials estimate that around 40 per cent of these commuters are also likely to use mofussil and non-AC SETC services if they are brought under the scheme. This could increase the total number of beneficiaries availing free travel and other fare concessions in government buses from the present 1.31 crore to around 1.59 crore commuters a day.

Officials clarified that no decision has yet been taken on whether city deluxe or other categories of buses will be included. The transport department has begun analysing reservation data from TNSTC and SETC services to estimate the average fare paid by women passengers and assess the financial implications of the proposed expansion.

While extending the scheme to long-distance services is expected to reduce travel expenses for women travelling for work, education, healthcare, family visits and pilgrimages, officials said the proposal remains at a preliminary stage.

They noted that demand patterns differ significantly between ordinary buses, which often carry repeat commuters making multiple trips a day, and long-distance services where passengers usually make only one or two trips.

Tamil Nadu’s eight state transport corporations operate a fleet of about 21,500 buses, with around 19,100 currently in service, carrying over 2.05 crore passengers daily. The state spends about Rs 5,380 crore annually on fare concessions, including Rs 3,600 crore for the women’s free travel scheme and Rs 1,780 crore for student concessions.

A Tamil Nadu Planning Commission study found that the existing scheme helps women save an average of Rs 830 every month.

–IANS

aal/dpb