The Metropolitan Transport Corporation is all set to increase its fleet strength to 4400 from 3637. This was decided at a recent meeting of the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority’s sub-committee on non-motorised transport and infrastructure.
Work on improving traffic and road infrastructure to cope with the increase in the number of buses will be implemented by Chennai Corporation and Traffic Police in various parts of the city shortly. Redevelopment of bus depots in areas such as T. Nagar and Tiruvanmiyur will be among the key projects to improve bus transport in the metropolitan area.
According to a study, the additional requirement of buses in the city is 1500. A total of 1064 new buses will be procured by MTC with a chunk of them replacing old buses.
“Many residents have demanded more mini buses in narrow roads. We have requested two additional mini buses for residents of EB Colony, AGS Colony, Venkateswara Nagar and Vijayanagar,” said S.Saravanan, a corporation councillor in Velachery.
As many as 12 depots have to be developed as part of the improvement in metropolitan bus transport. Bus depots in Padianallur, Adambakkam, Besant Nagar and Mahakavi Bharathi Nagar will be commissioned in one year.
Work on Perumbakkam and Kannagi Nagar will be completed to improve resettlement of slum tenements in various parts of the city. “Bus connectivity for the new tenements is the key to resettlement of residents of slum neighbourhoods. A large number of commuters will use bus services to reach the central business district from Perumbakkam and Kannagi Nagar after resettlement of over 11,000 families,” said an official of Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board.
Estimates for works on bus depots in Perambur, Kunrathur and Chromepet will also be prepared shortly. Land acquisition for new bus depots in Gummidipoondi, Thaiyur and Velachery is under way.
Over 50 lakh commuters in the 3,637 buses of MTC every day will get better services because of the improvement. A number of residents, who have submitted petitions to MTC and local body representatives, have also pointed to the poor maintenance of existing vehicles.