CHENNAI: The transport department has increased the lifespan of buses operated by the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) and mofussil buses of six State transport corporations. A G.O for changing the norms for condemning overaged buses was passed a few months ago, said official sources.
Earlier, SETC buses that had completed 7 lakh km or operated for more than three years were considered overaged and replaced on priority. Similarly, mofussil buses that had completed 7 lakh km or six years in service were also sent for scrapping.
According to the revised norms, SETC buses will be sent for condemnation only on completion of 12 lakh km or seven years of service, whichever is earlier. The norms for mofussil buses have been revised to nine years of service or 12 lakh km, whichever is earlier.
The change in norms for condemnation of buses was recommended by a technical committee last year. The committee revisited the norms after studying various factors such as road qualities, vehicle technologies, lifespan of bus bodies, new condemnation policies of the Union government, policies followed by neighbouring States, improvement in preventive maintenance carried out by transport corporations, etc.
Official sources said several steps had been initiated to bring down the share of worn-out buses in the fleet of transport corporations. “We have made changes in the maintenance schedule of buses, because of which the lifespan of buses has increased,” said an official.
As per an affidavit submitted before the Madras High Court in November 2017, as on September 30, 2017, as many as 15,184 buses of the total fleet of 22,203 were overaged. According to official data, between July 2018 and July 2019, 3,881 new buses were added to the fleet of eight transport corporations.