Chennai, Aug 24:
Chief Minister Vijay will launch the second phase of Chennai’s electric bus programme, with 750 new low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses planned for deployment from seven Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) depots across the city.
The launch marks a further expansion of the State government’s efforts to shift Chennai’s public transport system towards cleaner-energy vehicles and reduce vehicular emissions. The second phase follows the introduction of 625 electric buses under the first phase.
Under the first phase, 625 low-floor electric buses were procured at an estimated cost of Rs 697 crore and are currently being operated from five depots — Vyasarpadi, Perumbakkam, Poonamallee, Central Workshop and Tondiarpet-1.
The second phase will add another 750 buses to the fleet. These buses will be operated from seven depots — Alandur, Central Workshop-2, Perambur, Padiyanallur, Avadi, K K Nagar and Ayyappanthangal.
Of the new fleet, 130 AC electric buses will initially be operated from the Alandur depot.
Chief Minister Vijay is scheduled to inaugurate the service from the Secretariat on Tuesday. He will flag off five electric buses at the Secretariat complex, following which the remaining buses will be pressed into service from the Alandur depot.
The preparations for the second phase have been underway at the selected depots, with charging infrastructure being installed and tested to support the expanded electric fleet.
Transport Minister Vijay Tamilan Parthiban inspected the electric bus infrastructure at the Alandur depot on Monday and reviewed the arrangements for the launch. He also inspected the charging facilities and sought details from officials regarding the functioning of the charging equipment.
Senior MTC officials, including Managing Director T Mohan and Joint Managing Director Rama Sundarapandian, accompanied the minister during the inspection.
The expansion is significant for Chennai, where the MTC operates a large network of city buses catering to millions of passenger journeys. Electric buses are expected to offer the twin advantages of lower tailpipe emissions and reduced noise compared with conventional diesel buses.
The deployment of AC low-floor buses is also expected to improve passenger comfort, particularly on heavily travelled urban routes.
With the second phase, the government is seeking to substantially increase the share of electric buses in Chennai’s public transport fleet. The use of multiple depots for operations will also allow charging and deployment facilities to be distributed across different parts of the metropolitan area.
The success of the programme, however, will depend not only on the number of buses introduced but also on the reliability of charging infrastructure, depot preparedness, maintenance and the ability of the MTC to deploy the vehicles efficiently on high-demand routes.
The launch on Tuesday will therefore be watched as another major step in Chennai’s transition towards an increasingly electrified public transport system.