Are Bus Passes Free?
Bus rides can be a significant part of so many people’s life. Many tend to commute to work, schools, colleges, etc., by bus. Being cost-effective & convenient, the bus is said to be the most considered means of public transportation.
Those traveling frequently make use of bus passes. There are a lot of benefits of using a bus pass. It reduces the travel cost when compared to spending directly on bus tickets.
With bus passes, one can travel on specific routes daily. It reduces the hassle of buying tickets or spending daily. Recently, we keep hearing a lot of news about the free bus pass in Tamil Nadu. In this article, we have discussed in detail the same!
Free Bus Pass for Students in Tamil Nadu
The Government of Tamil Nadu has announced a Free bus pass scheme for students. Both school and college students can travel by bus at no cost from September 1st, 2021. Student can present their id cards until bus passes are being printed and distributed. Also, the same exemption will apply for Government ITI & Polytechnic students.
What is the Purpose of the Free Bus Pass Scheme?
The government of Tamil Nadu has initiated Free Bus Pass Scheme for the following reasons:
- To enable students to reach schools/colleges on time & safely
- To financially support the poor students/parents
- To encourage the school dropouts especially in villages because of the longer distance
Who is Eligible for the Free Bus Pass Scheme in Tamil Nadu?
The eligibility criteria for availing of the free bus pass in Tamil Nadu are as follows:
- Students who are studying from 1st to 12th standard in schools that are recognized by the government and also students who are studying in the Government ITI, Government Polytechnics, Government colleges are all eligible under this free bus pass scheme announced by the government of Tamil Nadu
- The applicant for this free bus pass should be from the state of Tamil Nadu
- Students can only travel from home to school/college and back
- Students are allowed to travel on this free bus pass on all days of the month
- Students are permitted to use the free bus pass in the local government buses
What are the documents that are required to apply for an Online Free Bus Pass?
We have listed down the documents required for getting the free bus pass:
- Residential address proof of student/parent
- Passport size of the student
- School Identity Card of the student attested by the Headmaster
What is the Validity of this Free Bus Pass?
- The free bus pass for students is valid till the end of the academic year. It will be re-issued every year based on request.
Tamil Nadu student bus pass online application – Procedure for getting Free bus pass
- School authorities will get the application forms from the MTC head office
- Pass issuing agency will visit schools/colleges to take photos & passes will be issued online
- After lamination, passes will be issued in the schools/colleges directly
Bus Pass Over 60 New Rules 2021
The State Government has permitted to issue free bus pass to senior citizens who are above the age of 60. Now that the MTC bus services have 100% resumed as the infection rate has significantly reduced, the said free pass scheme for senior citizen was also resumed. Eligible people can download the bus pass application from the MTC’s official website and submit the filled forms along with the required documents at the nearby bus terminuses or MTC bus depots.
The issued pass will be valid for six months and includes ten tokens per month. And the beneficiaries can use the free bus pass to travel in all categories of MTC buses within Chennai (except AC buses).
Issuing free bus passes to students & senior citizens by the Government is considered to be a great initiative which will be entirely helpful for them! It will help them financially which will be one of the major concerns for students or senior citizens when it comes to traveling. Now that free bus passes are available, they are free to travel inside the city!