The Hindu : Front Page : 700 more buses for public transport

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Tuesday, Jun 17, 2008
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700 more buses for public transport

R.K. Radhakrishnan

First batch to come out in 40 days
Most of them will serve city, suburban areas

CHENNAI: In just about 40 days from now, the first batch of the planned additional 700 buses will be added to State transport corporations, making it the second largest addition in a single stroke in recent times.

“The first lot of chassis came last week. The body is being built now. The first buses will be out in about 40 days,” Transport Minister K.N. Nehru told The Hindu. “From then on, since the body mould will be ready, the remaining buses will roll out quicker,” he added.

Most of the buses will serve city and suburban areas, while some will be allocated to towns that are in dire need of augmentation of services. The buses had been added to the city roads with the financial help of the government but the Transport Minister said his department was trying to garner more revenue without resorting to increase in bus fares. “I am sure everyone will agree that the public transport is now as good as the private buses, if not better,” he said and added that the collections had touched an all-time high across corporations. The accumulated losses and the operating losses were reasons for considerable worry though, he said.

Two revenue areas

While the transport department believes that there is no escape from hiking the fares eventually, they are working on two revenue-generating areas – commercial development of its properties with private support and advertising on buses.

Asked about the court case relating to advertising on a majority of city buses, Mr. Nehru said the space under dispute in buses was not touched. “We will consider allocating the portion in dispute after the case is decided upon,” he said, adding that there were other areas in buses which could be used for advertising.

Virtually, the entire bus, expect the front glass pane, was open for advertisement opportunities. The corporations, especially the Metropolitan Transport Corporation – the most fuel-inefficient corporation because it operates in the city – stand to make a windfall given the fact that hoardings have vanished from the city following the Supreme Court order.

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