In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Tamil Nadu government has approved the introduction of 12-seater micro buses to strengthen public transport connectivity in Chennai. The move is aimed at improving first- and last-mile access to Metro stations across the city.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will operate 220 new vehicles under the scheme. The fleet will include 150 micro vans with 12 seats each and 70 buses with a capacity of 19 seats. These services will connect interior neighbourhoods to around 10 to 13 Metro stations.
The decision comes at a time when the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is recording an average daily ridership of 3.2 lakh passengers. Routes for the new services will be finalised based on a detailed mobility study carried out by the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA).
The buses will be operated under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. Under this arrangement, private operators will procure and maintain the vehicles, while MTC will collect fares and pay operators on a per-kilometre basis.
The annual operational expenditure for the project is estimated at ₹75.64 crore. Revenue from bus operations is projected at ₹25 crore, with an additional ₹17.04 crore expected from increased Metro ridership due to improved connectivity. The State government will bridge the remaining financial gap through viability gap funding.
Officials said the micro buses will be particularly useful in areas with narrow roads where larger buses cannot operate efficiently, thereby expanding Metro access and strengthening the city’s integrated transport network.