Tamil Nadu Rolls Out First Electric Bus

Tamil Nadu’s first air-conditioned green bus which is equipped with surveillance cameras and several safety features which is also noiseless,smokeless and vibration free was rolled out on Monday. It was launched by TN Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who along with his cabinet colleagues availed a ride for short distance. The electric bus will be running on battery and not on fuel. Two lithium-ion batteries (a type of rechargeable battery commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles) powers the bus. “There are no moving parts. No fuel in this bus. It has many advantages to passengers, as it will be quiet and free from vibrations. It incorporates modern technology including fire detection and suppression system and safety belts for passengers. In short, it will be comfortable ride for the passengers,” an official said.

The vehicle is also fitted with GPS besides automatic doors and it can travel upto 120 km on a single charge. The bus can seat 32 persons and 25 standees. The bus will ply between Chennai Central and Thiruvanmiyur in the A1 route of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and will make four trips every day. The commuter would be charged Rs 25 a trip for covering end-to-end destinations of the route. The minimum fare is Rs 11.

Automobile giant Ashok Leyland has manufactured the bus.

The government of Tamil Nadu had agreed to purchase and operate 525 electric buses in major cities like Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Erode, Tiruppur, Salem, Vellore and Thanjavur.

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