CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has launched a premium bus service with assured seating and modern amenities as part of its efforts to further improve the city’s urban public transport system.
Flagging off the premium buses through video conference from Salem, Transport Minister S S Sivasankar said the initiative was aimed at providing a premium service for long distance travel. He said the government was introducing the service with modern facilities and comfortable travel in an effort to encourage people who travel by car to switch to buses. Five buses have been introduced in the trial phase.
Passengers must book tickets through the Chennai One app to travel on these buses, which will operate without conductors.
In the first phase, the premium buses will run on routes P570S (Siruseri IT Park tonCMBT) and P91 (Thiruvanmiyur to Kilambakkam) on a pilot basis. The service will later be expanded gradually to other parts of the city. The fare for the premium service has been fixed between Rs 50 and Rs 150.
Prior to launching the service, MTC conducted an extensive survey among commuters through the Chennai One app to assess passenger expectations and willingness to use such services.
The survey found strong acceptance for premium pricing, with 85% of respondents indicating willingness to pay about 2.5 times the regular fare. Demand was found to decline sharply for fares beyond three times the standard rate.
It also indicated strong potential usage, with 40% of respondents saying they would use the service daily and 36% stating they would travel three to four times a week. Overall, about 76% of respondents indicated that they would be frequent users.
Passengers identified assured seating and cushioned seats as the most preferred features, followed by air conditioning and Wi-Fi connectivity. The survey also indicated strong interest in electric buses.
In terms of service expectations, reliability of departure and arrival timings emerged as the top priority for passengers.