Ten auto‑rickshaw drivers at Chennai's Ashok Pillar stand reported no passengers for an hour after the Vijay government expanded free bus travel for women. The drivers say their daily trips have halved, citing the scheme as the cause.
A Pakkiri, a worried driver, said, 'I used to get 10-15 trips daily; now I get 5-6.' N Babu added that the wage cut forces families to cut back on groceries and pay vehicle loans, and that a driver recently committed suicide because of the financial strain. P Nagoor Gani, who relies on street pickups, warned that the situation is getting difficult.
The free‑bus initiative was first rolled out in 2021 by the DMK government for ordinary government buses. Vijay extended the benefit to express and rural services, a promise he highlighted during the launch, arguing it would boost women's mobility across the state.
Tamil Nadu hosts roughly 4.5 lakh autos, directly supporting about 3 million people. Fares have remained unchanged since 2013, a fact the auto workers cite as a factor in their dwindling income. S Balasubramaniam, state working president of the Tamil Nadu Auto Workers Association, called for a revised fare structure that would protect drivers and bring transparency for passengers.
Transport Minister Suneel Reddy said the government would consider the concerns of all stakeholders, including private bus operators. While the drivers' claim of a 50% drop in rides has yet to be verified, they are pushing for a fare revision that could be decided in the coming weeks.