Tenders floated to procure 2,134 new buses across Tamil Nadu
As per the Institute of Road Transport’s tender document, MTC would get 557 buses
low-floor buses
CHENNAI: To modernise the bus fleet, the Institute of Road Transport (IRT), the central purchasing unit of the State Transport Undertakings (STUs), has invited tenders to procure 2,134 diesel buses for all eight STUs, including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).
The IRT has floated three separate bids to procure 260 low-floor fully-built buses, 887 town buses, and 997 mofussil buses for various STUs. Both the town and mofussil buses will have 1,000 to 1,150 mm floor height.
As per the tender documents, the MTC would get 557 buses, including 260 low-floor, fully-built buses and 297 town buses of 1,000 to 1,150 mm floor height.
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) Kumbakonam will get 361 buses, including 231 mofussil buses, while TNSTC Madurai and TNSTC Villupuram will get 341 buses and 340 buses, respectively. TNSTC Coimbatore would get 151 new mofussil buses while the TNSTC Tirunelveli would get 129 town buses.
The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) would get 110 mofussil buses. IRT also notified the requirement of 10 AC mofussil buses for the SETC to identify the prices, but actual procurement depends on the requirement.
The IRT also floated separate bids for the construction of the bus body building for the new town and the mofussil chassis.
Transport Minister SS Sivasankar has said that the state government has plans to procure 21,068 buses through various funding support, including KfW bank, World Bank, and the state government.
He told the state assembly on April 23 that as of the date, 3,778 new buses had already been inducted into the fleets of the STUs, and 3,468 new buses would be added to the fleet by March 2026.
The IRT has already opened the bid to procure 1,614 fully-built diesel buses under the KfW-funded project. Ashok Leyland is the only bidder for the project. Under phase two of the World Bank-funded project, the MTC has floated bids to procure 600 low-floor electric buses under the Gross Cost Contract basis. The bids will be opened on May 15. The IRT has floated bids to procure 500 low-floor electric buses under the KfW project, and it will be opened on May 9.
