04-07-2025
E-buses hit the road packed with features that keep in mind safety and passenger comfort
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had recently upgraded its fleet by inducting 600 low-floor diesel buses to make travelling easier for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Now, all eyes are on the 120 low-floor electric buses (e-buses), which were inducted into the fleet last month.
With this, the MTC has advanced its desire to modernise its fleet, its concern for being environmentally conscious, and keep passenger comfort and safety at the heart of its operations. This is its first fleet of zero-pollution buses in the city, even as it is in the process of expanding the e-bus fleet. These are being operated by Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, under a gross cost contract model.
The MTC is set to create new benchmarks in passenger amenities, offering several safety and security features in the e-buses. Giving a tour of the facilities for e-bus operation and maintenance at the newly built Vyasarpadi Depot, a senior MTC official said the 12 metre long low-floor e-buses had ramps, along with separate seats for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Each of the 39 seats comes with its own seat belt and have a dedicated charging port for mobile devices underneath. The MTC has made it mandatory for e-buses to have four closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the factory stage, along with 13 emergency switches. The e-buses with digital display boards and announcement systems will provide details such as the next destination and the route being taken, thanks to being linked to the global positioning system (GPS) machine installed in them.
The MTC official said the Vyasarpadi Depot, which was meant for non-air conditioned e-buses, had a total of 32 charging units. Each vehicle can be fully charged within two hours, and for each full charge, they can be operated for up to 200 km.
At present, the MTC has announced 11 bus routes for the 120 e-buses. Of these, circular routes are being operated from KKD Nagar (route nos. 2B, C33, C64). The remaining routes are Broadway to Kilambakkam (18A), Vallalar Nagar to Poonamallee (37), Red Hills (57), and Periyapalayam (57X); MKB Nagar to Koyambedu (46G) and Kilambakkam (170TX), Perambur to Manali (164E), and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar to Guindy Industrial Estate (170C).
While welcoming the move to include accessibility features in the e-buses, persons with disabilities have raised some concerns. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, an office-bearer of the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), said the wheelchair space in low-floor diesel buses was better as it accommodated more types of wheeled mobility devices, and has a better grab bar. The doors not moving when someone is using the rails to board the vehicle is a definite improvement, making it easier for senior citizens.
T. Sheikh Mohideen of Thoraipakkam said air-conditioned e-buses should be introduced on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai route as well.
The MTC official said work to set up a bus depot exclusively for e-buses was under way in Perumbakkam, and after the facility was completed, in about a month's time, e-buses would be run on the information technology corridor too.
