Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday flagged off 120 low-floor electric buses at the Vyasarpadi depot in Chennai, marking the state’s first major deployment of electric public transport.
This ₹207.9 crore initiative forms part of the Chennai City Partnership: Sustainable Urban Services Programme, funded by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The CM also inaugurated an upgraded e-bus depot at Vyasarpadi, built at a cost of ₹47.5 crore.
Each non-AC electric bus comes equipped with 39 seats featuring seatbelts, CCTV surveillance, LED route indicators, emergency alarms, phone charging ports, and wheelchair ramps. These battery-powered buses can cover 200 km per charge and will operate on 11 routes, including Broadway–Kilambakkam, Perambur–Manali, and Vallalar Nagar–Poonamallee.
According to Additional Chief Secretary for Transport, K Phanindra Reddy, the larger project plans to introduce 625 electric buses—including 225 AC variants—by February 2026 at a total outlay of ₹697 crore. Depots in Perumbakkam, Poonamallee, Central, and Tondiarpet will support operations, with Perumbakkam set to open next month.
Officials clarified these buses will supplement existing services, charging deluxe fares. Notably, 20 women have joined the new fleet as drivers and conductors.
Reddy highlighted that diesel buses emit 755 grams of CO₂ per kilometre, so the transition is expected to significantly cut emissions and improve air quality while modernising Chennai’s transport network.