Chennai public transport to get greener: MTC to add 1,320 electric buses by 2025 end

CHENNAI: To improve city bus services and encourage use of public transportation, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will add 1,320 electric buses to its existing fleet of 3,200 by the end of 2025.

The MTC operates about 3,200 bus services daily to various parts of the city, catering to 32 lakh commuters a day. While on hand, aged buses are being replaced with new low-floor and high-floor diesel buses, the corporation plans to augment its fleet by adding new electric buses. “As of now, the MTC operates 3200 buses daily. With the planned procurement of 1,300 electric buses, the corporation’s bus fleet would be expanded by 28 per cent to about 4,500 by the end of 2025,” MTC managing director Alby John Varghese said.

The corporation has planned to procure 1,000 electric buses on a Gross Cost Contract (GCC) basis under the World Bank-funded Chennai City Partnership Programme. In the first phase, the MTC has awarded a contract for procurement of 500 low-floor electric buses including 100 air-conditioned ones to OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility. Under the GCC, the private enterprise would be responsible for fleet provision and operations. The MTC would pay Rs 77.16 per km for non-AC electric buses and Rs 80.86 per km for AC electric buses. The corporation would soon float bids for the procurement of the 500 electric buses through the GCC model.

Additionally, under a KfW Development Bank-funded project to procure a 500-electric bus fleet, the MTC would procure 320 AC low-floor electric buses for Chennai. 80 of these electric buses would be allocated to TNSTC - Coimbatore and 100 buses to Madurai.

Meanwhile, Alby John Varghese said that the MTC is in the process of replacing its aged buses with new diesel buses this year. The corporation plans to replace as many as 781 aged buses with the new ones, he announced.

MTC BUS FLEET

*MTC bus fleet (existing): 3,200; Ridership per day: 32 lakh commuters

*Addition: 1,320 electric buses (28%)

*Under World Bank-funded project: 1st phase - awarded contract for getting 500 low-floor electric buses; delivery expected from April 2025; 2nd phase - 500 more electric buses; tender expected to be floated soon

*Under KfW-funded project: Tender floated for getting 500 low-floor electric buses including 320 AC buses