A commute down memory lane

Red bus service a hit; MTC to add 245 more

Riding on nostalgia: The bus is being operated on route 102 between Kelambakkam and Broadway.

The lone red bus operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) on the IT corridor is a big hit with commuters.

The bus has been running as a ‘Deluxe’ service on route 102 between Kelambakkam and Broadway since October 10.

The red bus evokes a sense of nostalgia for the days when Pallavan Transport Corporation operated red buses in the city.

New features

The re-introduced red bus has been built as per the ARAI standard for city operations.

It has several new features that include pneumatic doors, breakable emergency windows, a speaker for route announcements and individual seats for passengers. The replacing of row seats had created more standing space in the bus, an MTC official said.

“As many as 245 red buses will be added starting from Pongal, for which body-building work is nearing completion,” he added.

T. Harish, who uses Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) and MTC buses to get to his office in Sholinganallur, said the bus had a sturdy look and more space for passengers to stand.

The bucket seats were a bonus, he added.

The MTC identified the Broadway-Kelambakkam route for operating the red bus because of the high daily collections, which comes around ₹11,000 a day per bus.