The first public rollout of e-buses in Tamil Nadu was marked by the flagging off of 120 low-floor electric buses at the Vyasarpadi depot in Chennai by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, in a significant step towards sustainable urban transport.
According to reports, the Rs 207.90 crore project is a component of the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank-backed Chennai City Partnership: Sustainable Urban Services Program. Additionally, the CM opened a recently renovated Rs 47.5 crore electric bus depot at Vyasarpadi.
Every non-AC electric bus has 39 seats with seatbelts, accessibility ramps with anchorage points, emergency alarms, CCTV cameras, LED route displays, and mobile charging stations. The buses are battery-powered and have a 200-kilometre range between charges. They will operate eleven routes, such as Vallalar Nagar–Poonamallee (37), Broadway–Kilambakkam (18A), and Perambur to Manali (164E).
The entire project will see the rollout of 625 electric buses, including 225 air-conditioned buses, at a cost of ₹697 crore by February 2026, according to Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) K Phanindra Reddy. Electric bus operations will soon be supported by depots at Perumbakkam, Poonamallee, Central, and Tondiarpet; Perumbakkam is scheduled to open next month.
Officials explained that although the buses will charge deluxe fare rates, they are enhancing current services rather than taking their place. Twenty women have joined the crew of the recently flagged-off fleet, including three drivers and seventeen conductors.
Reddy said that because a diesel bus releases 755 grammes of CO₂ per kilometre, the deployment will drastically cut emissions. The initiative is expected to make Chennai’s air cleaner while modernising its transport infrastructure.
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