In a major relief for school students, the Tamil Nadu government has rolled out exclusive bus services for students studying in 25 schools — both government and aided — across Chennai. The initiative, aimed at easing overcrowding in regular buses and ensuring student safety, has been widely welcomed by parents, teachers, and education experts.For the first time, the buses will directly enter school campuses to drop off and pick up students. This step is expected to significantly improve safety for children, many of whom earlier had to jostle for space inside city buses.
On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin flagged off the service in Chennai. He also distributed free bus passes to students for the academic year 2025–26, drawing attention as the highlight of the event.
Free bus passes for lakhs of students
Statewide, nearly 35.12 lakh students will benefit from free bus passes this year, including 4.1 lakh students in Chennai. In the first phase, 50 exclusive school buses will operate along special student routes. These buses will start from depots each morning, halt at designated stops, and drop students directly inside school premises. In the evenings, they will pick up students from the campuses and return along the same routes.
Addressing student travel issues
Explaining the need for the scheme, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) Managing Director T. Prabhushankar said that although MTC already operates 87 buses reserved for women and students in Chennai, many students ended up giving their seats to women passengers and had to travel standing with heavy school bags. The new service was introduced to provide a practical solution. Schools were chosen based on student strength and demand.
Widespread appreciation
The move has drawn praise from several quarters. Former School Education Officer A. Pugazhendhi recalled that in 2024, many school headmasters had requested dedicated bus services, as overcrowding made travel unsafe and tiring for students. He said the introduction of these 50 buses would not only reduce absenteeism but also improve student enrolment in government and aided schools.
With this initiative, the Tamil Nadu government hopes to provide students with a safer, more comfortable travel experience and encourage greater access to education.