Madras Day | The buses that drove Madras into Chennai, a cosmopolitan city

As it is more commonly known, has gone through plenty of changes in its decades-long existence, madras Day The buses that drove Madras into Chennai, a cosmopolitan city The Metropolitan Transport Corporation or MTC.

Key points

• Today, in 2023, the MTC has a fleet of almost 3, 500 buses with 34 termini, four workshops, eight units for readying buses for fitness certificates and two tyre plants.
• The Madras State Transport Corporation was formed with 30 buses and began operating in the city.
• Today, it has a fleet of almost 3, 500 buses with 34 termini, four workshops, eight units for readying buses for fitness certificates and two tyre plants.
• He remarked that afterwards, the then Transport Minister Panruti Ramachandran and Thillai Nayagam.
• The MTC introduced five AC buses on a trial basis in 2001.

MTC buses in Chennai. File Photo Credit: R. Ragu.

Buses are so intertwined with the lives of the individuals of Madras and one can even attribute the city's residential expansion to their dependable operation and connectivity. For the longest time, Madras had a near monopolistic public bus service, and only a few years ago did private services mushroom throughout the city. It was dependable, but anytime a strike or bandh happened, the entire city's movement would come to a grinding halt.

Initially known as PTC or the Pallavan Transport Corporation, it is now the Metropolitan Transport Corporation or MTC, a more modernistic nick that encapsulates the changing nature of the city. In its current avatar, it has been bifurcated, trifurcated and finally merged over the decades of its existence.

Today, in 2023, the MTC has a fleet of almost 3, 500 buses with 34 termini, four workshops, eight units for readying buses for fitness certificates and two tyre plants. Photo Credit: M. Srinath.

In some ways, it has remained a model for the entire country for its implementation of social initiatives, such as ticket-free rides for students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and, more lately, women. The bus service additionally became an intricate part of the entertainment industry, with the making of Madras to Pondicherry (1966) and so numerous other films that applied bus routes as titles.

R.M. When the Madras administration nationalised public transport, cheralathan, who retired as Managing Director of the Salem Transport Corporation and served for plenty of years in the MTC, stated Madras city had public transport right from Independence in 1947. The Madras State Transport Corporation was formed with 30 buses and began operating in the city.

Nevertheless, former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi decided the administration would take over the 'routes' of private transport operators in 1967, resulting in the formation of the Pallavan Transport Corporation and others throughout the State and additionally registering them under the Businesses Act, 1956.

He remarked that afterwards, the then Transport Minister Panruti Ramachandran and Thillai Nayagam. This person was Chief Engineer of the Highways Department and deputed as Managing Director, paved the way for the PTC to adopt successfully a social responsibility model with a commercial approach. By implementing a longevity scheme through a new pay package and an incentive formula for bus conductors and drivers, they created it into what it is today.

MTC, which originally began with a fleet of 30 buses at one point, had to convert lorries for transporting residents since of the enormous crowd and had particularly few bus depots (additionally applied as bus termini). Today, it has a fleet of almost 3, 500 buses with 34 termini, four workshops, eight units for readying buses for fitness certificates and two tyre plants.

In practice, the MTC has undergone a few changes in its colour scheme from the 'post office' red to green. Mr. Cheralathan remarked the MTC was in need of funds to expand its fleet, and having become a model transport corporation in the country, the World Bank (WB) sanctioned funds for acquiring 444 buses. Since the WB authorities suggested using a different colour scheme to tell apart the new buses from the old ones, green was selected. Then, in the next tranche, for purchasing 500 buses, cherry red was chosen. At one point, a two-colour scheme was additionally adopted to differentiate buses that were older than five years, he went on.

As early as 1946, created special 'lorry-buses' to operate on five routes, including the iconic 5A services (Mylapore to Adyar bus depot), to cater to the increasing passenger traffic, the MTC. As part of the MTC's evolution to provide better amenities, it afterwards introduced double-decker buses, with one being imported from England, and air-conditioned (AC) buses.

For context, the MTC introduced five AC buses on a trial basis in 2001. Only in 2008 did more such buses take to the streets, with 50 Volvo AC buses being introduced. They became an instant hit on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, an IT corridor.

Nevertheless, if there was a failure for MTC, it had to be the production of a bus accessible to persons with disabilities. The matter persists, with legal cases being fought by non-governmental organisations for the operation of buses with better accessibility. Double-decker MTC bus. File Photo Credit: S. Thanthoni.

Mr. Cheralathan, who was a General Manager of MTC, remarked for better accessibility, low-floor buses were needed, whereas the bodies being built at Chromepet were for high-board buses.

Along with this, there is the matter of proper maintenance of the vehicle. It has been lacking, and poor road conditions. The Volvo AC bus was put to scrap due to lack of regular maintenance, he continued.

For context, the MTC has additionally served the public during emergencies, such as floods and natural calamities and, more lately, the COVID-19 lockdowns.

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For now, madras Day The buses that drove Madras into Chennai, a cosmopolitan remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.