CHENNAI: Chennai has received its first batch of 58 non-AC low-floor buses which are disabled-friendly and have kneeling facility for wheelchair ramp. The buses have a ground clearance of 400mm (it is 650mm for normal MTC deluxe buses and 850mm for others).
The new batch of 58 buses is part of the 100 buses flagged off by Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday, which includes 30 new regular buses and 12 refurbished buses.
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has introduced these buses as deluxe service in about nine high demand routes on Sunday and will finalise the routes after studying the operational constraints if any arises due to road curves, height of speed breakers, and subways.
While conventional MTC buses are 11m long, the low-floor buses are 12m long and will require more space navigating tight areas during peak hours, according to the MTC crew.
“We will observe the operational feasibility on each route before finalising them. Priority has been given to high-density routes. If there are any disruptions like speed breakers or other issues, we will address them with GCC or highway authorities,” MTC MD Alby John Varghese told TNIE.
Chennai city has 387km of bus route roads, apart from 260km of state highway roads and 50km roads maintained by NHAI. The minimum road width required for operating an MTC bus is 40ft.
In 2011-12, MTC received 100 AC low-floor buses and 1,000 non-AC semi-low-floor buses under JNNURM assistance. These buses were phased out between 2016 and 2018.
According to an official note, MTC has been allocated 611 low-floor buses, including electric ones, with 58 already inducted into the fleet and the remaining to be added within six months.
The low-floor buses offer better travel comfort due to their air suspension and are equipped with GPS trackers, LED display boards, wider windows for better air circulation, a public announcement system for stoppages, better seats, and other facilities. Additionally, a fire sensor, along with a fire safety nozzle, is installed in the engine to prevent fire accidents in case of overheating. The buses have a carrying capacity of 70 passengers, with 35 seats.
Meanwhile, the MTC MD has instructed bus crews to assist disabled passengers using wheelchairs when boarding and alighting. The circular dated August 3 instructed the bus crew to ensure there are no complaints from differently-abled persons regarding access to the bus service.
Activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar of the Disability Rights Alliance who had filed a writ petition seeking the introduction of disabled-friendly buses said the low-floor buses should be operated as white board buses and not with deluxe fares.
Rajiv Rajan, a disability rights activist and wheelchair user who had moved the high court in 2005 seeking accessible public infrastructure, said low-floor buses are a welcome addition to the fleet but some drivers and conductors also need an attitude shift while dealing with disabled persons.