CHENNAI: Transport Minister S S Sivasankar on Tuesday said a study will be conducted to explore the feasibility of introducing premium bus services in Chennai. These services would offer amenities such as Wi-Fi, surveillance cameras and more. The objective is to reduce the increasing usage of private vehicles in the city.
During discussions on the transport department’s demand for grants, the minister disclosed plans to install retractable rails on 8,771 buses across the state at a cost of Rs 8.77 crore aimed at enhancing safety.
Explaining on upcoming initiatives, Sivasankar said ‘travel as you please ticket’, that allows unlimited travel within a month in all town buses across six divisions of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations is being planned. At present, this ticket is exclusively available for MTC buses.
On expansion of mini bus services, Sivasankar said a public hearing is scheduled for next month and these services are expected to commence in rural areas by August or September.
The minister also highlighted the ongoing efforts to formulate regulations for vehicle aggregators like Ola and Uber. The government is planning to finalise regulatory rules soon.
Additionally, a mobile application will be launched for family members of accident victims to apply for compensation under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.