TN Transport department plans to introduce 7,682 new buses in 2024-25 to replace aged buses

CHENNAI: The state transport department on Friday said that it has planned to procure 7,682 new buses in the current financial year to replace aged buses in its fleet.

An official release said that out of its total fleet of 20,260 buses, 10,582 buses which accounts for 52.73 per cent of its fleet strength are aged buses and should be replaced.

As many as 1.75 crore passengers travel on the buses everyday including 51.47 lakh women passengers travelling free of cost.

Due to the non-procurement of new buses during the COVID 19 period owing to financial constraints, the average age of the state transport undertakings buses has touched 9.13 years as on March 31, 2023.

“Despite the financial constraints faced by the state government, it has sanctioned the procurement of 1000 new buses in 2022-23, another 1000 buses in 2023-24, 3000 buses in 2024-25 and 16 buses under the Special Area Development Programme. The STUs would get 2,666 buses under the German funding agency KfW. Hence a total of 7,682 new buses would be introduced,” it said.

Of the proposed new buses, 652 buses were already added to the fleet to replace the same number of aged buses, it said, adding that the rest of the 7,030 new buses would be procured by the end of 2024-25.

In Chennai, it said that 1000 electric buses would be operated through the gross cost contract model and in the first phase, 500 e-buses would be operated soon.

Apart from procurement of the new buses, the release said that steps have been taken to refurbish the bus body of 1500 old buses in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

“839 refurbished buses have already started operating,” it said, adding that the transport department operates with the aim of avoiding bus breakdowns and accidents to ensure safety of the passengers.