Vettri Payanam scheme plunges auto and private bus operators into livelihood crisis

The extended ‘Vettri Payanam Thittam’ proved to be a crowd-puller. File | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy

While the Tamil Nadu government’s newly expanded Vettri Payanam no-fare bus scheme has been lauded as a milestone for women’s empowerment and financial relief, it has inadvertently triggered a severe livelihood crisis for private transport workers across the state.

Auto-rickshaw drivers and private bus operators lamented that their daily collections have plummeted drastically, leaving them struggling to make ends meet.

The Vetri Payanam initiative, which provides free travel for women across State-run transport corporation buses — including express, deluxe, and mofussil services — has fundamentally altered commuter habits.

With millions of women passengers shifting en masse to zero-fare government buses, traditional alternative transport providers are feeling the pinch.