Chennai to get 100 small buses with GPS by end of August

The state transport department officials said that they have floated a new tender to buy the buses. Sources said that the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had announced 100 small buses in September, 2016 to increase the connectivity from interior roads to arterial roads and main railway stations. 

Subsequently, the transport department floated a tender to buy 100 small buses. However, they could not procure the buses as the department landed in a financial crisis. Currently, the MTC operates 200 small buses in the city and suburbs and the Corporation is receiving a flurry of requests from commuters to operate more buses.

“The transport department recently planned to buy 2,100 modernised buses, including 100 small buses. We had to terminate the previous tender process. We have already made suggestions after inspecting the buses,” an MTC official said, wishing anonymity. The official added that they will soon start Route Rationalisation process to operate small buses.

P Viswanathan, coordinator of Chitlapakkam Residents Welfare Association, said, “We had submitted many requests to the MTC to operate additional small buses. It is very helpful in travelling in interior areas and for the commute from bus stands and railway stations.”