Where are the new buses?

Chennai: Much has been written and spoken about procuring new electric buses, small buses and regular buses for Chennai city by the state transport department. These proposals remain only on paper. As most buses operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) have become old, commuters and activists demand that government complete procuring such new buses without delay.

A case in the point is electric buses for which a trial run was held in June 13, 2017. Transport minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar and officials took a trip to the war memorial from Pallavan House on the bus built by Ashok Leyland. Electric buses are operated by rechargable batteries. But there has been delay in procuring buses even after CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami and transport officials inspected electric buses again.

Later, officials held a meeting with the London-based C-40 team which prepared a detailed project report and inspected various depots to introduce electric buses in the city. Later, officials kept saying that they had floated a tender for buying electric buses, but there is no sign of the buses hitting the roads.

The second issue is that government failed to buy 100 small buses that were announced by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in September 2016. The inordinate has caused immense inconvenience to city commuters. Since such buses are operated from interior areas, they play the main role to take commuters to the main bus depots and railway stations.

The situation is similar in terms of buying 345 new MTC buses. "MTC crew lament that almost 75 percent of buses are unfit to be operated. Considering this, the transport department has already prepared a blueprint to buy 2,100 buses, including 345 MTC buses. Yet such new buses are yet to be seen on the city's roads," said a MTC staff.

Meanwhile, transport experts demand speedy action in buying new buses. Sai Ratna Chaitanya Gurugubelli, associate, Transport Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), said, "It is good that the transport department proposes to procure buses and install ITS in buses.  However, the delay in implementing the proposed projects is not understandable." The transport department should come up with a yearly plan to add new buses and implement new projects. This will not only improve the experience for existing users but also encourage new people to use public transport, the expert added.