Town, mofussil buses to be fitted with automatic doors in Villupuram, Coimbatore and Salem

CHENNAI: To ensure the safety of the passengers, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations of Villupuram, Coimbatore and Salem have invited separate tenders to install doors on its town and mofussil buses.

Even though all the new buses and old buses which are being refurbished are installed with automatic doors in all the seven transport corporations which operate town and mofussil buses, the older buses are still being operated without doors. While the Metropolitan Transport Corporation has already taken steps to install doors on its buses, other TNSTC corporations are following suit.

All eight transport corporations together have a fleet of 20,258 buses with six TNSTC corporations including Villupuram, Coimbatore and Salem operating 6,387 town services, 7,630 mofussil services and 473 ghat services.

A senior transport department official said that the corporations are fixing doors in all the town buses and mofussil buses as per the policy decision to ensure the safety of passengers.

“Doors on buses are essential for the safety and security of passengers. They act as a protective barrier, preventing accidents like passengers falling out or getting injured by external objects. Additionally, doors help regulate access to the bus, ensuring only valid passengers board. They also help maintain a comfortable environment inside the bus by keeping out dust, rain and noise,” the official said, noting that it's important for buses to comply with the bus body code that mandates the presence of doors for safety reasons.

The official said that all the buses except aged buses which would be scrapped after the induction of the new buses would be fitted with doors.