Tamil Nadu: Children Below Five Years Of Age Can Travel For Free In Govt Buses

The government also announced various schemes including the implementation of an automatic fare collection system (AFCS), National Common Mobility Card among others. 

TN Minister SS Sivasankar | Credit: ABP Nadu

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has made traveling on government buses free for children below five years of age. In the Assembly on Thursday, Transport Minister SS Sivasankar said, the age limit for children taking free rides has been increased to five from three years of age.

The government also announced various schemes including implementation of an automatic fare collection system (AFCS), online purchase of free/subsidized tokens through transport corporation portals among others, as per a report on The New Indian Express. 

The Minister also announced National Common Mobility Card, a unified travel card for passengers using government buses and Metro Rail. MTC and TN State Transport Corporation of Coimbatore and Madurai would introduce the card to integrate all public transport systems with a fund of Rs 70 crore from KfW Bank, he said.

The Minister also announced that the government would provide 10% discount to the people booking tickets online in a bid to encourage passengers to take state-run buses for long-distance travel.

On the wage revision for transport corporation employees, Minister said, the talks for wage revision had been scheduled for May 12 and the government would address the grievances of the workers.

The Minister said that amendments would be brought to Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Regulations and Control of School Buses) Special Rules, 2012 to fix cameras and sensors in school vehicles. 

He also said, mobile workshops would be set up to provide repair-related services for government vehicles. An integrated grievance redressal cell would also be established for addressing the passengers' concerns, he said.