Chief Minister MK Stalin launched 120 low-floor, non-air-conditioned electric buses from the Vyasarpadi depot of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) on Monday, marking the first deployment of electric buses by a state-run transport body in Tamil Nadu.

Each bus, once fully charged in around two hours, can cover a distance of up to 200 km. These buses are equipped with 13 emergency panic buttons, four surveillance cameras, a mobile charging point for every two seats, and a public announcement system. The electric buses feature a mix of low-floor seats at the front and high-floor seats at the rear, with the floor height adjustable from 400mm to 250mm to enhance accessibility, including for disabled passengers.

An electric vehicle charging station, constructed at a cost of Rs 470.5 million, was also inaugurated as part of this green initiative. The newly inducted fleet, which cost Rs 2.07 billion, falls under the Chennai Sustainable Urban Services Program (C-SUSP), supported by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

In response to earlier complaints about poor ventilation in previously introduced low-floor buses, the MTC has made design adjustments in the new fleet, including increased window height and the addition of sliding windows in the rear section.

These 120 electric buses are part of the first phase of a larger plan to introduce 650 electric buses in the city, with a total target of 1,225 e-buses eventually operating across Chennai. The current fleet has been deployed on 11 routes as deluxe services.

Officials confirmed that these new buses are meant to enhance existing services without reducing the number of current ones. They will operate under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, wherein a private operator is responsible for building, running, and maintaining the buses over a 12-year period. MTC will pay Rs 77.16 per km to OHM Global Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland and SWITCH Mobility, which manufactured the buses.

While conductors hired on contract by MTC will be deployed in the buses, ticketing will be carried out exclusively through electronic machines.

The 11 routes for the new buses include:

News source: New Indian Express