Chennai Becomes First in Tamil Nadu to Introduce 120 Green Buses

03 Jul 2025 CW Team

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:

K Kannadasan Nagar to K Kannadasan Nagar (2B, circular route via Anna Square, Central, and Vyasarpadi)
Broadway to Kilambakkam (18A)
K Kannadasan Nagar circular routes (C33 and C64 via Moolakadai, Choolai, Central, and Broadway)
Poonamallee to Vallalar Nagar (37)
M K B Nagar to MGR Koyambedu (46G)
Vallalar Nagar to Redhills (57)
Vallalar Nagar to Periyapalayam (57X)
Manali to Perambur (164E)
M K B Nagar to Kilambakkam (170TX)
T V K Nagar to Guindy TVK Estate.

News source: New Indian Express

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:K Kannadasan Nagar to K Kannadasan Nagar (2B, circular route via Anna Square, Central, and Vyasarpadi)Broadway to Kilambakkam (18A)K Kannadasan Nagar circular routes (C33 and C64 via Moolakadai, Choolai, Central, and Broadway)Poonamallee to Vallalar Nagar (37)M K B Nagar to MGR Koyambedu (46G)Vallalar Nagar to Redhills (57)Vallalar Nagar to Periyapalayam (57X)Manali to Perambur (164E)M K B Nagar to Kilambakkam (170TX)T V K Nagar to Guindy TVK Estate. News source: New Indian Express

Equipment

07 Oct 2025

SANY India Opens New 3S Branches in Visakhapatnam and Palwancha

SANY India, a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, road, logistics, and energy equipment, has expanded its presence in southern India by inaugurating two new 3S (Sales, Service, Spares) branch offices in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Palwancha (Telangana). The expansion, in partnership with its authorised dealer Madhura Engineering Services, reinforces SANY’s commitment to providing world-class equipment and faster service access in key industrial and mining hubs.These new facilities complement Madhura Engineering’s existing branches in Guntur and Vijayawada, marking a strate..

Real Estate

07 Oct 2025

Compact Homes Lead Demand as Indian Housing Market Stabilises: Magicbricks

Magicbricks, India’s leading real estate platform, has released its PropIndex Report for July–September 2025, revealing signs of stabilisation in the housing market. Despite affordability pressures, housing demand grew 3.1 per cent QoQ, driven largely by compact homes. The share of 1–2 BHK units rose to 54 per cent of total demand, reversing a two-year decline and signalling renewed focus on affordability.While overall supply increased marginally by 1 per cent QoQ (–4.5 per cent YoY), property prices continued to rise. Pune (+41.4 per cent YoY), Mumbai (+29.6 per cent YoY), and Greater..

Infrastructure Urban

07 Oct 2025

Flytta Launches India’s First Retrofitted Electric Truck for the Heavy-Duty Segment

Flytta has unveiled India’s first retrofitted 13-ton payload capacity electric truck, specially designed for cement bag transportation across challenging ghat roads and industrial terrains. Developed by Kalyani Powertrain (KPTL)—the electric mobility arm of the Kalyani Group—the truck will operate with Dalmia Cement on the Yadwad–Goa corridor.This industry-first collaboration brings together Flytta’s sustainable logistics expertise, Kalyani’s engineering capabilities in EV retrofitting, and Dalmia Cement’s commitment to green manufacturing. The partnership marks a significant ste..