Electric buses roll up at MTC’s Perumbakkam depot

CHENNAI: With the electric bus set to be launched in June, the new electric buses have started arriving at the Metropolitan Transport Corporation's (MTC) depot at Perumbakkam, one of the five depots earmarked for the e-bus launch.

MTC has awarded the procurement, supply, operation, and maintenance of 625 low-floor electric buses on a Gross Cost Contracting (GCC) basis to OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland. The electric buses would be procured under the Chennai City Partnership Programme, supported by the World Bank.

A senior MTC official said that delivery of the electric buses has commenced. “The electric bus operation will be implemented in a phased manner. In the first phase, 625 electric buses will be rolled out in the city,” the official said. Of the 625 electric buses, 400 would be non-AC and 225 would be AC buses. The electric buses would be operated from five city bus depots – Vyasarpadi, Perumbakkam, Central, Poonamallee, and Tondiarpet.

The official said that the electric buses would be initially operated through the Vyasarpadi depot for non-AC buses and the Perumbakkam depot for both AC and non-AC buses.

The works to upgrade the infrastructure to support the electric bus fleet are under way in the five depots, including the installation of the charging facilities for the electric buses, the official said. The official added that they have targeted the completion of the works by the end of this month. “We are hopeful of launching the electric bus operation next month,” the official noted.

In the second phase, the MTC has floated a tender to procure 600 electric low-floor buses, including 400 AC buses on a GCC basis.