Tamil Nadu to Procure Only AC Electric Buses, Plans BRTS with Dedicated Bus Lanes: CM Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has instructed the Transport Department to procure only air-conditioned electric buses for all future fleet additions and initiate follow-up measures for implementing a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus lanes across the State.

The announcement was made during a high-level review meeting on Wednesday, where the Chief Minister discussed long-term plans to modernize Tamil Nadu`s public transportation network. He also reviewed proposals to extend free bus travel for women throughout the State, one of the key promises made by his party.

As part of the modernization initiative, Vijay emphasized the need for large-scale adoption of eco-friendly electric buses and directed officials to introduce a smart card-based cashless ticketing system to improve passenger convenience.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that the eight State Transport Corporations currently operate 21,527 buses, serving approximately 2.05 crore passengers daily. Around 64% of these passengers benefit from various free travel welfare schemes. Bus connectivity has also been expanded to 98.4% of villages with a population exceeding 1,000 people.

The Chief Minister reviewed the functioning of the State Transport Undertakings, the State Road Transport Institute, the Tamil Nadu Passenger and Goods Transport Corporation, and the Directorate of Motor Vehicle Maintenance. Discussions also focused on one-year, three-year, and five-year action plans aimed at improving operational efficiency and ensuring the financial sustainability of transport corporations.

Additionally, officials presented plans to establish 24x7 information and control centres at major bus terminals. These centres will use GPS-enabled tracking systems to monitor bus movements, departures, arrivals, and stoppages. The facilities will be connected to the headquarters of all transport corporations and an integrated command centre proposed in Chennai.

Transport Minister A. Vijay Tamizhan Parthiban, Chief Secretary M. Sai Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) M.A. Siddique, Transport Secretary M. Vallalar, Special Secretary R. Lilly, Metropolitan Transport Corporation Managing Director T. Prabhushankar, and other senior officials attended the review meeting.