The senior persons and differently able persons face many issues while trying to board MTC or metropolitan transport corporation buses in Chennai. Now, to improve the accessibility of these persons, MTC has added 66 new low floor buses to its fleet.
Point is that these 66 low floor buses would be operated on 11 bus routes. This would include 10 buses on the 18AET route (Kilambakkam to Broadway) and 6 buses on 70G (Vadapalani to Guduvanchery). It is now mentioned by MTC that 5 buses would operate on D70 route ( Ambattur IE to Velachery), 104 (Tambaram to Redhills), 27B (Koyambedu Bus Stand to Anna Square) and 583 ( Tambaram to Sriperumbudur).
The MTC has introduced as many as 124 low floor buses on 23 bus routes in Chennai. Under the funding from KfW 124 low floor buses in the total of 552 buses have been procured for MTC, TNSTC Madurai and Coimbatore. The superb piece of information is that the buses have been designed in such a way that they provide easy access to differently abled persons, old persons, women and children etc. These buses would be easily accessible for these persons as it has a ground clearance of 400mm. The buses could lower themselves by about 60mm in the stopping position and by this the commuters could get in and come out with ease.
For the wheelchair passengers to get in and come out of the bus at the rear side entrance, ramps have been provided through ramps provided. It must be noted that the ram would extend from the bus floor and be placed on road side or pavements to help the wheelchair bound passengers to board and deboard. For these wheelchair passengers to travel in the bus, a separate space is provided.