CHENNAI: The Transport and Electricity Minister S.S. Sivasankar on Tuesday flagged off the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s Chennai Ula hop-on hop-off vintage circular bus service at the Anna Square bus terminus in Chennai and undertook a ride on the service.
Ahead of the Pongal festival, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), the city’s principal public bus operator, has launched a curated city tourism experience.
Under the Chennai Ula initiative, five vintage buses have been introduced with hop-on hop-off services.
The buses will operate on a circular route designed to connect iconic and culturally significant locations in the central parts of the city, enabling residents and visitors to experience Chennai’s heritage during the festive season.
According to MTC Managing Director T. Prabhushankar, the five buses, which are about nine years old, have been remodelled into vintage-style buses resembling those that operated in Chennai around 50 years ago.
The service will start from the Chennai Central railway station bus stop and operate on a circular route covering 18 stops, with buses running at a frequency of 30 minutes.
The buses are equipped with GPS-linked audio announcement systems that provide information on approaching bus stops along with brief descriptions of prominent landmarks at each location.
Passengers can avail themselves of hop-on hop-off services with unlimited boarding and alighting at all stops across the five buses for the entire day at a fare of Rs 50. Stage-wise tickets can also be purchased at existing deluxe fare rates.
The route has been planned as a 30 km loop linking major historical, cultural and leisure landmarks in the city. Tickets can be purchased at Chennai Central railway station, Egmore railway station, Marina Beach and from conductors on board. Electronic tickets are also available through the Chennai One mobile application.
During the Pongal festival period, the service will operate from January 16 to 18 between 10 am and 11 pm. As per the regular schedule, the service will run from 10 am to 10 pm on weekends and public holidays, and from 4 pm to 10 pm on weekdays.
Prabhushankar said that based on public response, MTC plans to introduce guided tours and combo tickets for major attractions in the future.
During the summer vacation, hop-on hop-off services using air-conditioned buses are proposed to be launched in the opposite direction with appropriate pricing.
He said the initiative is expected to offer a nostalgic experience to Chennai residents while facilitating access to the city’s historical landmarks for both locals and tourists.
The event was attended by the Transport Department Principal Secretary Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru along with general managers and senior officials of the corporation.
The route is planned as a loop extending for 32 kms connecting major historical, cultural, and recreational landmarks in Chennai.
1. Central Railway Station – Major city transport hub.
2. Park Station – Connects to central business and shopping districts.
3. Ripon Building – Iconic heritage civic architecture.
4. Victoria Hall – Historic public space.
5. Egmore Railway Station – One of Chennai’s oldest railway stations.
6. Egmore Museum (Government Museum) – Cultural and art collections.
7. Valluvar Kottam – Monument honouring Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar.
8. Semmozhi Poonga – Urban botanical garden.
9. Luz Corner – Historic crossroads near churches and shops.
10. Kapaleeswarar Temple – Ancient temple, Dravidian architecture.
11. Santhome Church – Basilica built over St. Thomas the Apostle’s tomb.
12. Light House – Coastal lookout point and viewpoint.
13. Kannagi Statue – Cultural landmark.
14. Vivekanandar House (Ice House) – Philosophical and cultural archive.
15. Marina Beach – World’s longest urban beachfront.
16. War Memorial – Tribute to the armed forces.
17. St. Fort George – Historic fort and administrative complex. 18. High Court (Madras High Court) – Iconic colonial era judiciary building.
19. Pallavan House – Heritage building (transport heritage connection).
20. Return to Central Railway Station – Completing the circular loop.
The service will be operated daily during the Pongal festival period, with enhanced frequency on peak festival days (16–18 January), from 10:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs.
Subsequently, the service timings will be 16:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs on weekdays and 10:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs on weekends / public holidays, with an interval of 30 minutes between successive bus services.