Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today inaugurated the free bus pass scheme for senior citizens in city buses by issuing tokens to five of them at the State Secretariat. The scheme was announced on February 18.

Though Jayalalithaa had announced in the State Assembly that the free bus pass scheme would be launched on February 24, coinciding with her 68th birthday, she launched it on Saturday. Under this scheme, senior citizens in Chennai City can travel in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses, barring the AC buses, free of cost.

The launch took place at the Secretariat in the presence of senior Ministers and officials.

The new scheme was launched in line with the promise made by the AIADMK party in its election manifesto in the run up to the 2011 Assembly polls, thereby fulfilling all the promises made in the manifesto.

Based on the response for the scheme, Jayalalithaa said it would be extended to other parts of the State.

Stating that 10 tokens would be given to beneficiaries of the scheme per month, Jayalalithaa said senior citizens could show the tokens to the conductor and travel free of cost in MTC buses.

Applications for the scheme could be obtained in bus depots or downloaded online. After filling the forms, senior citizens should affix their photograph to receive the identity card and tokens. The complete details about the availability of the forms in depots were available on the Transport Department’s website.