Tamil Nadu plans 500 electric buses for Chennai

Tamil Nadu is planning to reduce carbon emissions from public transport by introducing electric buses. Starting in April, the city of Chennai will receive 500 new electric buses for its public transport system, managed by MTC Chennai Ltd. This initiative makes Tamil Nadu the fifth state in India to roll out electric buses, following Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Delhi. The program aims to cut the carbon footprint of public transport as part of a larger effort to decarbonize the transport sector. These 500 buses will be the first phase of a plan to add a total of 1,300 electric buses to Chennai's public transport by the end of the year. The buses are being procured under a unique contract model. This allows the transport corporation to pay the supplier based on the distance the buses travel. Officials, including Additional Chief Secretary K. Phanindra Reddy, are discussing the motivations behind this move. They are also exploring future plans for integrating electric buses across other public transportation systems in the state. The focus includes addressing challenges related to charging infrastructure and battery standards.