Chennai rolls out first fleet of 120 electric buses, MK Stalin flags off initiative

Chennai, June 30 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday flagged off Chennai’s first fleet of low-floor electric buses from the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC) Vyasarpadi depot, marking a significant step towards greener urban transport in the city.

A total of 120 electric buses, worth Rs 207.90 crore, have been introduced under the Chennai City Partnership Programme and Chennai Sustainable Urban Services Programme, with support from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Inaugurating the upgraded electric bus depot at Vyasarpadi, developed at a cost of Rs 47.50 crore, MK Stalin said the initiative would help curb environmental pollution and improve air quality in Chennai.

Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) K. Phanindra Reddy said the MTC plans to roll out 625 new low-floor electric buses in the first phase, at an estimated cost of Rs 697 crore.

“Each diesel bus emits around 755 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Electric buses will drastically cut emissions, significantly improving the city’s air quality,” he noted.

The 120 new buses flagged off on Monday will operate on 11 routes across Chennai. This includes 20 buses on the Broadway-Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus-Kilambakkam route (18A), 20 between Mahakavi Bharathiyar Nagar and KCBT-Kilambakkam (170TX), 10 on Vallalar Nagar-Poonamallee (37), 10 between Mahakavi Bharathiyar Nagar and Koyambedu (46G), and 10 on Perambur-Manali (164E).

Other routes include services to Kaviarasu Kannadhasan Nagar and Thiru vi ka Nagar-Guindy-Thiru vi ka Industrial Estate. The electric buses feature 39 seats with seat belts, wheelchair accessibility with ramps and secure anchorage points, CCTV cameras, mobile phone charging points, emergency alarms, and LED displays providing information on upcoming bus stops. When fully charged, each bus can travel up to 200 kilometres.

To support this rollout, infrastructure, including charging stations, has been developed at five depots: Vyasarpadi, Perumbakkam, Poonamallee, Central, and Tondiarpet 1.

Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, and senior officials attended the launch event.

The new fleet forms part of the state government’s broader push to modernise Chennai’s public transport system, reduce the city’s carbon footprint, and provide safe, accessible, and eco-friendly mobility options for commuters.

--IANS

aal/dan