Chennai: Over 500 new buses, equipped with passenger-friendly features including low-floor footboard and automatic doors, for state-run transport corporations were flagged off by Tamilnadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami here Monday.
The 555 buses, procured at a total cost of Rs 140 crore, for the corporations, including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), were painted in bright red, bringing back memories of old times when city roads were dotted with those of the same colour.
Some of the features in the buses include automatic doors with low-floor steps, individual seats, better space between seats, amplifier with microphone to announce the destination, and LED route board, a press release said.
The Chief Minister, along with senior Ministers, flagged off seven new buses at the Secretariat, it said. The buses were meant for the divisions, including Chennai, Villupuram, Salem, Coimbatore, Kumbakonam and Madurai, the release said.
Tamilnadu has 21,700 buses operating under eight transport corporations connecting both inter and intra-State destinations, it added.