The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Karunanidhi takes a look at new bus models

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 29, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Karunanidhi takes a look at new bus models

Staff Reporter

MTC officials say they have decided to go in for vestibule buses

DISABLED FRIENDLY: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Transport Minister K.N. Nehru inspect a low floor bus that was displayed by the MTC in the city on Friday. — PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

CHENNAI : Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi inspected a few new models of buses that were displayed at the Anna Square bus terminus on Kamarajar Salai on Friday.

The buses included one said to be more disabled-friendly, specially designed by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC); a vestibule and two low-floor buses; one each from Ashok Leyland and TATA and long distance deluxe coaches.

Referring to the disabled-friendly model bus, a senior officer said it had a rear-engine with air suspension and automatic doors. A hydraulic system would lift physically challenged persons from the ground on to the bus.

R.Seshasayee, Managing Director of Ashok Leyland, explained the salient features of two new model buses to Mr. Karunanidhi.

More vestibule buses

MTC authorities said they had decided to buy vestibule buses. Fortytwo vestibule buses now in operation were purchased nine years ago.

A senior MTC official said vestibule buses were ideal for the city conditions as they could carry more passengers. In the earlier model, the corporation had problems with couplings and bellows and had decided not to go in for more. These problems had been overcome in the new models, he said.

Six buses have been fitted with Global Positioning System — two belonging to the Tondiarpet depot and four to the Tambaram depot. Officials said this system would help them to locate a running bus and in case of breakdown immediately intervention was possible.

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