CHENNAI: Managing Director of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Prabhushankar, inspected the proposed site for an upcoming bus terminus and depot near the Velachery MRTS railway station, a long-pending plan to strengthen bus infrastructure in the locality.
During the inspection, officials reviewed possible plans for establishing the terminus and depot, infrastructure requirements, operational feasibility, and commuter convenience. According to officials, the proposal includes a diesel bus depot and a separate depot for electric small buses alongside the new bus terminus.
The proposed facility aims to strengthen public transport connectivity and improve bus operations in the Velachery region.
The inspection comes more than a decade after plans were first floated to develop a bus terminus near the Velachery railway station. Earlier attempts by MTC did not materialise due to delays in coordination among various government agencies.
Currently, the existing Velachery bus terminus near Vijayanagar junction faces space constraints, making bus movement difficult during peak hours.
It is part of MTC's broader expansion plans to strengthen public transport infrastructure and increase its fleet strength to 7,578 buses by 2032, with a significant share comprising electric buses.
As part of the expansion, MTC plans to establish 30 to 40 new depots over the coming years and has estimated a requirement of around 180 to 200 acres of land to accommodate the additional fleet.
Currently, MTC operates 3,376 buses from 32 depots across Chennai. With the city witnessing rapid urban expansion and rising commuter demand, MTC's approved business plan aims to add more than 3,200 buses over the next seven years.