CHENNAI: Chennai's electric bus services, operated under a private partnership model (gross cost contract), are running profitably and do not impose any financial burden on the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Transport Minister SS Sivasankar told the Assembly on Friday.
Responding to concerns raised by AIADMK legislator AP Jayasankaran, the Minister clarified that only e-bus services in the city are operated by a private entity, while conventional MTC services remain under government control.
"E-bus services alone are being supplied and operated by a private firm, OHM Global Mobility, a group company of Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility. Through this arrangement, there is no loss to the State government or the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. The e-bus services are operating in profit," Sivasankar said.
Earlier, the opposition member had sought clarity on the role of private operators in MTC services and questioned whether the move amounted to the privatisation of public transport.
Replying to another query, the Minister said proposals to introduce new inter-district bus services on routes such as Attur–Tirupati and Pudukkottai–Tiruchendur would be examined and implemented in the near future.
During the question hour, Kilpennathur MLA and Deputy Speaker K Pitchandi urged the government to consider Tiruvannamalai for an airport under the UDAN scheme and requested the State to pursue the proposal with the Centre.