Tamil Nadu Free Bus Scheme for Women Cuts Auto Drivers' Income by a Third, Operators Say

What is the Vetri Payanam scheme?

The Tamil Nadu government's Vetri Payanam (Victory Journey) scheme, launched by Chief Minister Vijay, provides free bus travel for women across all categories of state-run buses. The scheme aims to improve women's mobility and access to work, education, and healthcare. According to a Vikatan report dated 7 October 2026, the scheme began with buses carrying special stickers and was inaugurated with a launch event.

Auto drivers report sharp income drop

Auto-rickshaw drivers say their daily earnings have fallen by about one-third since the scheme started. The state secretary of the CITU Tamil Nadu Auto Workers Union, Balasubramanian, told Vikatan that within the first week மூன்றில் ஒரு பங்கு வருமானம் குறைந்துவிட்டது (one-third of income has reduced). He explained that an average auto driver previously carried 15 passengers a day (about 450 per month), but now sees 5 fewer passengers daily. Women who once used autos or share-autos for work and urgent trips are switching to free buses.

Drivers also point out that meter fares have not been revised in years, and they face high penalty fees at multiple stations for share-auto operations. They are demanding a fare hike and government support for alternative employment.

Private bus operators also hit

The impact extends beyond autos. The Hindu's Tamil Nadu news index highlights a story by C. Palanivel Rajan noting that the Madurai Vettri Payanam scheme plunges auto and private bus operators into livelihood crisis. Private bus operators, who run contracted services, face similar passenger diversion.

Search interest spikes

Public interest in the policy is reflected in search trends. Google Trends data for India shows the Tamil term பேருந்து (bus) surged 500% in the past 24 hours, with approximately 10,000 searches recorded on 8 October 2026. The trend signal confirms heightened public attention but does not verify the underlying claims.

What operators are asking for

• Revision of auto meter fares, unchanged for years.
• Relaxation of share-auto contract permit rules that require non-stop point-to-point runs and impose penalties at every station.
• Government assistance for drivers wishing to exit the trade, including priority hiring in private firms.

The scheme's rollout illustrates how a well-intentioned welfare measure can disrupt existing livelihoods unless paired with complementary policies for affected workers.