Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today flagged off the State’s first electric bus. The bus will be operated between Chennai Central and Thiruvanmiyur. Charging station for the bus has been set up at the depot on Pallavan Salai. It will have two batteries, one battery with one hour charging can run for 50kms.
The batteries will be replaced at the end of every trip or 40km. The air-conditioned bus will have CCTV cameras, and facilities to announce the next stop.
The facilities also include tubeless tyres, two airbags at the front and four in the rear. pneumatically operated doors, hydraulic power steering systems and dual circuit air brakes.
It has the capacity of ferrying 57 passengers, 32 standing and 25 sitting. These A/C buses can touch a maximum speed of 100km/hour. It is said the buses will be operated by Ashok Leyland drivers who are familiar with the functioning of the vehicle. Sources further said more e-buses will be included in the coming days. The buses were built a depot in Mamandur.
Amma Patrol launched
Palaniswami also launched Amma Patrol vehicles to tackle crimes against women and children. The pink coloured patrol vehicles will be given to the all-women police stations. It will be first introduced in Chennai and later expanded to other districts as well. He also introduced the usage of cameras in police uniforms.
The movie is expected to make police actions transparent, with photographic evidence helping reduce friction with members of the public. The government made an announcement in the State Assembly in this regard during the demand for grants of the Home Department.
Palaniswami, who holds the portfolio, said that Rs 1 crore was being sanctioned to buy the cameras. Sources said about 20 per cent of the 1,000 cameras purchased will be allocated to the Chennai city traffic police.