CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday chaired a review meeting on the functioning of the Transport Department and discussed the implementation of the government’s election promise of providing free bus travel for women across the State.
According to an official release, the meeting reviewed the performance of the transport sector and future development plans. Officials informed the Chief Minister that the State’s eight transport corporations currently operate 21,527 buses, carrying around 2.05 crore passengers daily. Nearly 64 per cent of these passengers avail themselves of free travel benefits under various welfare schemes.
The government also highlighted that public bus services are available in 98.4 per cent of villages in Tamil Nadu with a population of more than 1,000, ensuring extensive connectivity in rural areas.
Vijay was briefed on the functioning of the State’s transport corporations, including the State Express Transport Corporation, the Tamil Nadu Passenger and Goods Transport Corporation and the Directorate of Motor Vehicle Maintenance. Discussions focused on one-year, three-year and five-year action plans aimed at strengthening and modernising the sector.
Officials presented proposals for developing new passenger service software and introducing GPS-based monitoring of bus departures, arrivals and bus stops. The Chief Minister was informed that 24×7 information and control centres have been established at major bus terminals and linked with the headquarters of all eight transport corporations. These centres will eventually be integrated with a central command centre being set up in Chennai.
The meeting also reviewed key vision projects, including the roadmap for introducing free bus travel for women across Tamil Nadu, large-scale deployment of environment-friendly electric buses and measures to improve the welfare of transport workers.
Vijay directed officials to ensure that newly procured buses are air-conditioned electric vehicles, implement smart card-based cashless ticketing systems and take forward plans for a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) with dedicated bus corridors to improve public transport efficiency and urban mobility across the State.
