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Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will soon launch a new fleet of low-floor electric buses from the Vyasarpadi depot. This marks the beginning of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation’s (MTC) electric bus services in Chennai. The initiative is part of Phase I of the Chennai City Partnership Programme – Sustainable Urban Services Programme (C-SUSP), supported by the World Bank.
Cleaner and Better Public Transport
Under this plan, MTC will operate 625 electric buses across 50 routes, covering both Chennai city and its surrounding suburbs. The main goals are to improve last-mile connectivity and reduce air pollution caused by vehicles. The fleet will include 400 non-air-conditioned and 225 air-conditioned buses. These will be managed from five major depots: Vyasarpadi, Perumbakkam, Tondiarpet-I, Poonamallee, and the Central Depot.
Depot-Wise Allocation of E-Buses
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Vyasarpadi Depot: 120 non-AC buses across 13 routes
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Central Depot: 145 buses (100 of them AC) on 10 routes
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Perumbakkam Depot: 135 buses (55 AC) on 11 routes
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Poonamallee Depot: 125 buses (45 AC) on 8 routes
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Tondiarpet-I Depot: 100 buses (25 AC) on 10 routes
MTC has invested over ₹100 crore to upgrade these depots for electric bus operations and maintenance. These new electric buses are expected to improve service reliability and help meet the growing travel needs in the city.
Who Will Operate the Buses?
The buses will be operated by OHM Global Mobility Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland and Switch Mobility. The contract follows a performance-based model, where MTC will pay ₹77.16 per km for non-AC buses and ₹80.86 per km for AC buses.
Currently, MTC runs around 3,233 daily services in the Chennai Metropolitan Area through 32 depots. With the launch of these electric buses, the daily service count will rise to 3,858, adding 625 new services to the network.
Key Bus Routes from Vyasarpadi Depot
Here are some of the electric bus routes to be operated from Vyasarpadi:
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164E – Perambur to Manali
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46 – TVK Nagar to MGR Koyambedu
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113E – MMBT to Guindy Industrial Estate
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46G – MKB Nagar to MGR Koyambedu
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57X – Vallalar Nagar to Periyapalayam
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170TX – Kilambakkam Bus Stand to Kannadasan Nagar
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37 – Vallalar Nagar to Poonamallee
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33CX – Anna Square to Kannadasan Nagar
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64K – Broadway to Kannadasan Nagar
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57 – Vallalar Nagar to Redhills
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2B – Vallalar Nagar to Kannadasan Nagar
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170C – TVK Nagar to Guindy TVK Estate
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64E – MMBT to Central (via Egmore)
This step-by-step rollout of electric buses will help Chennai move towards a cleaner and greener public transport system. It’s a big step in making city travel more comfortable, eco-friendly, and efficient for everyone.
