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Electric buses with the MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation) logo were recently seen on the Chennai-Trichy highway, creating excitement among transport enthusiasts. These buses are funded by a German bank and will run under the ‘Vidiyal Perunthu Payana Thittam’ scheme, offering free rides for women.
Each bus has 35 seats and one wheelchair-accessible space. Charging the buses fully takes 60 to 120 minutes, while quick charging at bus depots takes 10 to 30 minutes. Charging stations are being set up at Pallavan Illam and Adyar depots.
These buses are part of Chennai’s new fleet of 950 electric buses, with 625 arriving in the first batch. They are made by Ashok Leyland at its Trichy factory and sent to Switch Mobility’s Oragadam plant for final checks.
Switch Mobility, a part of Ashok Leyland, might operate these buses under the GCC (Gross Cost Contract) model. In this system, the government pays a private company per kilometre to run and maintain the buses. MTC drivers will not drive these buses—the private operator will handle everything.
