MTC sells two monthly passes for unlimited city travel: the Gold pass at Rs 1,000 and the Diamond pass at Rs 2,000, according to the MTC facilities page. Both can now be bought as a fully digital pass in the Chennai One app, which MTC announced on 28 November 2025, so you no longer have to queue at a depot counter every month.
Beyond these, MTC runs separate concession schemes for students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and transgender persons, each with its own rules and paperwork. This guide sets out who gets what and how to apply.
Monthly passes for everyone
The two monthly season tickets differ mainly in which buses they cover. MTC lists them simply as Gold (Rs 1,000) and Diamond (Rs 2,000). The Rs 1,000 pass has long been sold as a “travel as you please” ticket. MTC’s site does not spell out which bus classes each tier covers, so before you buy, ask at the counter or read the product description in the app, especially if you ride AC buses.
Ways to buy:
- Chennai One app: the digital monthly pass is shown on your phone, with no paper card. MTC’s news page describes it as paperless from purchase to use.
- Singara Chennai card: MTC accepts payment through the NCMC Singara Chennai card as well as the app.
- Pass counters: MTC’s monthly pass sale centres at major termini and depots still issue passes. When a terminus is being rebuilt, the counter moves with the buses, as happened at Avadi in September 2025.
Counter sales follow a monthly window. In January 2025, Asianet Newsable reported that monthly passes are normally sold from the 1st to the 22nd and student concession passes from the 1st to the 13th, with extensions around holidays such as Pongal. Buy early in the month to avoid a gap.
Students: free passes and 50% concessions
School students and students of government arts and science colleges, government polytechnics and government ITIs travel free on government buses. At the start of each academic year, before new passes are issued, they can ride by showing a school uniform or a current college ID to the conductor. The state repeated this when schools reopened on 4 June 2026, MENAFN reported.
Students at private colleges and private engineering colleges do not get free travel but can apply for a concession pass at half fare or better. MTC sells this as a separate 50% student concession ticket.
How it works in practice, based on MTC’s long-standing process described by Citizen Matters:
- The school or college collects the forms, not the student alone. Each form carries a photo, home address and the boarding and alighting stops.
- The head of the institution certifies the forms and sends a consolidated list to MTC.
- MTC prints the passes and the institution collects and distributes them.
If your child’s pass has not arrived, ask the school office first. They hold the application number.
Senior citizens: free travel tokens
Residents above 60 get 10 free trips a month on MTC buses through travel tokens issued in six-month batches. MTC announced the July to December 2025 batch on 23 June 2025, and in 2024 DT Next reported applications were accepted at 40 depots and termini, with tokens issued from 42 centres.
Documents for a first-time application:
- The application form
- Address proof, such as a ration card
- Age proof: Aadhaar, driving licence, voter ID or an educational certificate
- Two colour passport-size photos
To renew, take your old free travel card and one photo. Watch for MTC’s notice around June and December, when the next batch is announced, and go early in the window as counters get crowded.
Tips to avoid problems
- Carry the ID linked to your pass. Conductors and ticket checkers can ask for it.
- If you buy on Chennai One, keep your phone charged. The pass is shown in the app, and a screenshot may not be accepted.
- If you lose a paper pass, ask at the issuing counter about a duplicate before buying a new one.
Other free travel
Under MTC rules, persons with disabilities travelling with an attendant and transgender persons have travelled free since 21 June 2021, and women travel free on ordinary city buses under a scheme that began on 8 May 2021, according to the MTC home page. That women’s scheme was widened in October 2026 and is covered separately on this site.
Quick answers
How much is the MTC monthly pass?
Rs 1,000 for the Gold pass and Rs 2,000 for the Diamond pass.
Can I buy an MTC pass online?
Yes. A fully digital monthly pass is sold in the Chennai One app.
Do senior citizens travel free on MTC?
Residents above 60 get 10 free trips a month through tokens issued every six months at MTC centres.
Do students need a pass at the start of the year?
Not on government buses. Eligible students can show their uniform or college ID until new passes are issued.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Facilities: monthly season tickets (Metropolitan Transport Corporation)
- MTC news and notices (Metropolitan Transport Corporation)
- MTC home page (Metropolitan Transport Corporation)
- MTC’s July-September bus tokens for senior citizens (DT Next)
- MTC extends pass sale deadline (Asianet Newsable)
- Tamil Nadu students can travel free on government buses without a pass (MENAFN)
- How to get a free bus pass for students in Chennai (Citizen Matters)
