Promising free bus travel for the residents of Chennai, Pattali Makkal Katchi’s Chief Ministerial candidate and former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said the city needed an integrated public transport system for better connectivity.
On the sidelines of an interactive session on a new urban agenda for the Chennai Metropolitan Area, he announced that free bus travel will be implemented for all and the fleet of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation will be increased to 8,000 buses.
He said that the public transport system in the city was deficient and added that the integrated public transport system that would be introduced will be extended to other parts of the State.
Stating that the Dravidian parties had systematically destroyed the city’s water bodies and waterways that resulted in the floods of 2015, he said ten new water bodies will be created within a 100-kilometre radius of the city for sustained water supply. Highlighting the Cooum River Restoration, he said several crores were spent on the project, but in vain.
A practical solution will be chalked out and industries that pollute the river will be relocated.
In the interactive session that lasted for over four hours, he answered questions pertaining to education, health and transport.
Besides cycle tracks, Dr.Anbumani promised quality education and improved health care.
