Free bus scheme — 8.7 crore women trips logged in April alone

TNSTC dashboards show 8.7 crore women trips logged across the eight subsidiaries in April alone — a 31% jump year-on-year, reflecting both increased compliance with the swipe-card protocol and broader adoption beyond Tier-1 corridors. The fare-substitution outlay to the exchequer was ₹468 crore for the month.

The scheme is now in its fifth year. An internal review on rural-link utilisation is expected to inform the FY27 outlay and may extend coverage to inter-state corridors operating wholly within TN borders.