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MTC AUGMENTS FLEET
50 more AC buses to help commuters beat the heat
Chennai: Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has introduced 50 more airconditioned buses on 24 routes.
MTC already operates 30 AC buses and 10 more such buses are likely to be introduced within a week, taking the total number of airconditioned buses in its fleet to 90.
The new buses, started on Wednesday, will run on these routes: Broadway-CMBT, Broadway-KK Nagar, Broadway-Iyyappanthangal, Broadway-Tambaram, Broadway-Kelambakkam, High Court-East Tambaram, High Court-Guduvanchery, T Nagar-Kelambakkam, T Nagar-Chengalpet, T Nagar-Kancheepuram, T Nagar-Mahabalipuram, CMBTMahindra City, CMBT-Mahabalipuram, CMBT-Kelambakkam, Central-Tiruvanmiyur, Tiruvottiyur-Tambaram, Ambattur Industrial Estate-Velachery, Ambattur Industrial Estate-Kelambakkam, Avadi-Tambaram, Avadi-Vandalur Zoo, Perambur-Tiruvanmiyur, Velachery-Mahindra City, Mogappair West-Tambaram and Mandaveli-Mahabalipuram.
MTC first introduced airconditioned buses in September 2007 but till now the services have been struggling to achieve the break-even point in terms of daily ticket collection.
They are supposed to generate at least Rs 18,000 of revenue each day, but most of them manage only Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000. However, MTC officials believe that an increase in airconditioned services would definitely attract more people to travel in them.
They said fares in MTC’s AC buses were very nominal and many car users also choose to travel in these buses. But most passengers travel from starting point to destination point and there were not adequate passengers enroute and this was one of the major reasons affecting the profitability of the AC bus services.
As of now, 18 airconditioned buses of MTC and
Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Villupuram division) are being operated on T Nagar-Kancheepuram route, which is the highest on any route. At present, MTC has around 3,400 buses and they are being operated in about 650 routes.
Meanwhile, the transport corporation on Wednesday issued notices to three private firms for defacing its buses by pasting advertisement stickers and handbills.
The transport corporation issued a warning against pasting of stickers and handbills inside and outside of the buses. Though a ban has been there against such unauthorised practice, it has not been strictly implemented in the recent years as a result of which more and more private firms started using the buses to advertise their products and services by pasting notices and hand bills. Officials said the MTC would hereafter impose a fine and also take legal action against those who violated the ban.
TOI