Bids floated to procure low-floor diesel buses in TN

CHENNAI: Metropolitan Transport Corporation is expected to get 242 low-floor buses soon. The Institute of Road Transport (IRT) has floated a tender to procure a total of 442 buses as part of the German bank KfW funded project.

According to the request for proposal (RFP) invited by the IRT, as part of the modernisation plan, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation has issued the first RFP for centralised procurement of 442 low-floor, fully built, non AC and BSVI diesel fuelled buses. Apart from MTC which would get 242 buses, TNSTC Madurai and Coimbatore would get 100 buses each.

The proposed buses are planned for urban city bus operations to improve accessibility for differently-abled persons, elderly, children and women, a transport corporation official said.

The RFP for the 442 buses floated following the Madras High Court direction to procure only the low-floor buses to ensure accessibility of the differently abled persons.

The officials said that TNSTC has planned to procure 2213 diesel buses to replace the ageing fleet. Of the 2213 buses, Chennai will get a total of 642 buses, including 242 low-floor buses, Madurai and Coimbatore would get 351 and 215 buses respectively. The Corporation also planning to procure 500 electric buses.