Tamil Nadu approves 1,000 new air-conditioned buses for Chennai
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the procurement of electric buses and sanctioned Rs 500 crore for depot infrastructure.
The Tamil Nadu government has approved the purchase of 1,000 air-conditioned electric buses for the Chennai Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), according to a report by BusinessLine.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay ordered the procurement under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model on Monday. Under this model, private operators will provide the buses, drivers, maintenance, and operations, while state transport undertakings will continue to deploy conductors.
The government has sanctioned Rs 500 crore to develop the electrical and mechanical infrastructure required at transport corporation depots to support these new electric buses. The state aims to modernise public transport and reduce environmental pollution through this move, according to an official release.
Additionally, the state has approved Rs 17.99 crore for installing vehicle location tracking devices across 13,490 buses and emergency alert buttons on 13,776 buses. These systems will be implemented across eight transport corporations to monitor bus locations, speeds, and routes in real time.
Transport Minister Thamizhan Parthiban had earlier mentioned in the state legislative Assembly that these safety measures would strengthen passenger security and improve operational supervision. The government stated that the monitoring system will allow authorities to take faster action when needed.
Chief Minister Vijay has instructed transport corporations to expedite the implementation of both the bus procurement and the vehicle-monitoring measures, according to a government statement reported by Dinamalar.