CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has directed the transport department not to increase bus fares and instead explore alternative sources of revenue, including advertisements on buses.
He gave the instruction to the officials after his recent visit to the Vyasarpadi e-bus charging station, sources said. “The department is working on plans to augment non-fare revenue.
The CM has also instructed to expedite the procurement of 2,000 AC buses,” an official said. The government last hiked bus fares in November 2011 and January 2018, both during the AIADMK regime.
A white paper, released in June, said the losses of transport corporations increased from Rs 41,826 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 72,667 crore in 2025-26.