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Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Limited
ParentTamil Nadu State Transport Corporation
HeadquartersPallavan House, Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
LocaleChennai, Tamil Nadu
Service areaChennai Metropolitan Area
Service typeNormal, Express, Deluxe, Air Conditioned Deluxe and Small Bus
Daily ridership6.0 million/day
OperatorGovernment of Tamil Nadu
Websitewww.mtcbus.org
Heatmap of the coverage of public transportation in Chennai City

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (formerly known as Pallavan Transport Corporation), sometimes known as the MTC or PTC, is the agency that operates the public bus service in Chennai, India. As of May 2017, the MTC had a scheduled fleet of 3688 buses and total fleet strength of 3968 buses, on a daily basis carries 6.0 million passengers to and from, which is half the population of Chennai. On March 22, 2016, the Union Transport Ministry reported that Chennai had the most crowded buses in the country with 1300 passengers per bus in each direction per day. During peak hours, in some routes, a bus with capacity to accommodate 80 persons carries twice the number of people due to the extensiveness of the system. It has an operating area of 3,929 square kilometres (1,517 sq mi).[1] MTC has a total of 830 routes with its largest terminus being Broadway in Central Chennai.

History

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai - Division I) Ltd was established on 1 January 1972 with a fleet strength of 1,029 buses. The operational jurisdiction is the Chennai Metropolitan area. It served 176 routes and had 8 depots, including those at T. Nagar, Adyar, and Vadapalani. Depots at Anna Nagar and K.K. Nagar were established in 1973.[2]The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (formerly known as Pallavan Transport Corporation), sometimes known as the MTC or PTC, is the agency that operates the public bus service in Chennai, India. As of May 2017, the MTC had a scheduled fleet of 3688 buses and total fleet strength of 3968 buses, on a daily basis carries 6.0 million passengers to and from, which is half the population of Chennai. On March 22, 2016, the Union Transport Ministry reported that Chennai had the most crowded buses in the country with 1300 passengers per bus in each direction per day. During peak hours, in some routes, a bus with capacity to accommodate 80 persons carries twice the number of people due to the extensiveness of the system. It has an operating area of 3,929 square kilometres (1,517 sq mi).[1] MTC has a total of 830 routes with its largest terminus being Broadway in Central Chennai.

History

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai - Division I) Ltd was established on 1 January 1972 with a fleet strength

Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai - Division I) Ltd was established on 1 January 1972 with a fleet strength of 1,029 buses. The operational jurisdiction is the Chennai Metropolitan area. It served 176 routes and had 8 depots, including those at T. Nagar, Adyar, and Vadapalani. Depots at Anna Nagar and K.K. Nagar were established in 1973.[2] The Pallavan Transport Corporation was split into two and a new Corporation, namely, Dr. Ambedkar Transport Corporation Ltd. started functioning from 19 January 1994 for this split Poonamallee Depot were split buses covers Broadway via Koyambedu, Ambathur, and Redhills came under Dr. Ambedkar Transport Corporation Ltd and south-bounded bus broadway via Guindy, Tambaram, and T. Nagar came under Pallavan Transport Corporation. Pallavan Transport Corporation was renamed as Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Madras Division - I) Limited, Dr. Ambedkar Transport Corporation was renamed as Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Madras Division - II) Ltd., on 1 July 1997.

In order to make the Corporations viable, and for better administrative control, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Madras Division II) was amalgamated with Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Madras Division I) Ltd on 10 January 2001. The fleet strength of the Corporation at 1 March 2009 was 3,260 with 25 depots, a body building unit at Chromepet, a ticket printing press at K.K.Nagar and Reconditioning Unit at Patullos Road. During the year 2002–2003, 117 buses have been purchased for replacement. After 2007, thousands of number of buses are purchased for new services as well as replacement for old buses.

As of 2012, the corporation operates 42,961 services daily in 800 routes.[3] The driver strength at MTC is 5,000 as against a required driver strength of 5,800.[4]

Increase Over the Years[2]
1972 2020
Depots 8 33
Fleet 1,029 4,599
Scheduled Services 892 5,099
Route 209 895
Employees 20,159 24,202
Passenger/day 2.2 million 5.8 million
Collection/day र0.4 million र26.1 million
Occupancy ratio NA 71.42%

Fleet

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has 34 depots, each with an average parking capacity of 200 buses.

The 34 depots of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (as of 2018) are listed below:

Semi-Low floor buses The semi-low floored and deluxe buses have improved passenger amenities like improved lighting, plastic moulded seats and driver operated pneumatic, doors into its fleet. The first set of such buses from Ashok Leyland were introduced in February 2007. The newer range of these semi-low floor buses supplied under JnNURM are BS-III compliant and have LED displays. Some continue to ply while most of them are replaced by newer buses

Vestibule services MTC also runs articulated buses provided by Ashok Leyland in congested routes. The fares are similar to those of ordinary services. These buses have 2 conductors, plastic moulded seats and LED boards. Around the end of 2017, some of these buses are condemned and no longer in service.

Air-conditioned buses MTC runs low-floor Volvo B7RLE air conditioned buses on selected routes. There were 100 of these buses running on select routes at regular intervals when they were introduced. Currently all buses are scrapped owing to poor and higher cost of maintenance, and replaced in favor of newer Ashok Leyland buses.

Small buses MTC has launched small bus services to connect remote places of Chennai and its suburbs. These buses are provided by Tata.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has 34 depots, each with an average parking capacity of 200 buses.

The 34 depots of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (as of 2018) are listed below:

MTC Depots
Depot Depot code Old code Region Fleet strength Scheduled services
Adambakkam AB NIL Chromepet 55 51
Adyar AD B Adyar 146 135
Alandur AL K Chromepet 148 135
Ambathur AM E Ayanavaram 191 179
Anna Nagar AN H Ayanavaram 243 208
Avadi AV X Ayanavaram 159 151
Ayanavaram AY
MTC Depots
Depot Depot code Old code Region Fleet strength Scheduled services
Adambakkam AB NIL Chromepet 55 51
Adyar AD B Adyar 146 135
Alandur AL K Chromepet 148 135
Ambathur AM E Ayanavaram 191 179
Anna Nagar AN H ₹ 86 lakhs.[7] About 2,000 of the MTC's 3,400 buses have been maintained by companies that advertise on the buses since December 2011, but the advertisement space was open for all to bid. In 2012, MTC decided to allow only those companies that take up the cleaning assignment. Still they will have to pay the market rate for the space, while they will get paid for the cleaning. As of 2012, the corporation pays ₹ 18 per bus per cleaner every day.[8]

As of 17 Apr 2013 The total revenue per day of all the buses is 2.75 cr [9]

Occupancy

The MTC buses have an occupancy ratio (average number of passengers to total seating capacity in a bus) of 84.35%. Each MTC bus can carry 72 people, including 24 standing passengers. The occupancy ratio in Chennai is amongst the highest for the 38 transport corporations in the country.[10] [11]

Connectivity with MRTS and airport

The MTC services are not integrated with the Mass Rapid Transit System.[12] Some of the MRTS stations are located away from bus stops which makes transfers difficult.[13][14] Recently mini-buses have started to ply as a feeder to plug the gaps in connectivity. There are buses to various parts of the city from the airport and some air passengers and many airport employees, use the service. The bus stop is close to the international terminal.[15]

Accidents

The accident rate of MTC is high compared to similar metropolitan transport corporations in the country.[16] In Chennai, 104 people died in 2012 in accidents involving MTC buses. The driver unions are blamed for violations going unpunished and continuing unabated.[17][18] [19]

People killed in accidents involving MTC buses
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2016 2017 2018 2019
142 145 138 132 112 104 98 94 35 24 120
Accidents over the years[19]
Year Fatal Non-fatal
2009 109 384
2010 106 351
2011 112 436
2012 103 351
2013 62 215
2016 61 214
2017 35 516
2018 24 401
2019 120 432

To mitigate the no. of accidents, officials of the corporation and the traffic police conduct refresher courses and yoga classes for MTC drivers.[17][20][21]

Criticism

There have complaints about operator behavior[22] on MTC buses and these have been effectively addressed by the administration by having special counseling and yoga sessions for the workers.[23][23][24] The entrances to most buses have at least two steps. This poses difficulty for some passengers to alight or board the buses.[25] Some of the bus stations are poorly maintained.[26]

MTC officials are under pressure from councilors and MLAs to introduce new bus routes to or through their constituency even though such a move may not be the most profitable of options. "While this is not always bad as certain routes need to be run even if they are not profitable, MTC as an operator should cover its basics first and meet the demands along high-capacity routes," said an expert in the field of public transport.

See also