Chennai’s buses are losing their riders. Long waits, crumbling stops and packed buses have pushed people to look elsewhere — and they’ve found two-wheelers.
A World Bank–CUMTA study published in March shows just how far the city’s buses have fallen out of favour. In 2008, MTC‘s share in city commutes was 26%. By 2023, that share dropped to 16%. Meanwhile, two-wheeler usage jumped from 25% to 37.5% during the same period. Even autos, taxis and shared rides gained ground, moving from 4% to 7%. The railways didn’t fare so well, dropping from 5% to 3.9%.
Experts and urban planners blame it on unreliable bus services, an ageing fleet, and poor last-mile connectivity.
We cannot keep widening roads to accommodate more vehicles as space is limited. Hence, public transport must fill in for commuting as it is a mass people carrier, said Sivasubramanian Jayaraman, national lead- transport systems and electric mobility, Institute of Transportation and Development Policy. “If comfort and convenience is provided, people will use them more,” he said.
Cumta member-secretary I Jeyakumar said that in expanded CMA areas, 52% prefer two-wheelers while in core areas, it’s 34%. “This shows supply of public transport hasn’t kept up with demand in the extended areas. There’s also no last-mile connectivity,” he added.
Besides, the city has grown in size. CMA increased from 1,500sqkm in 2011 to 5,900sqkm now. But MTC runs just more than 3,400 buses, the same as in 2011 — and fewer than the 3,980 it had in 2016.
Going by Union govt benchmark of 600 buses per million population, the city should have close to 9,000 buses for its 1.5 crore expanded CMA population. But, the city has only 220 buses per million people. Globally, the benchmark is 1,000. The study recommended MTC add 6,457 buses by 2031-32 and replace at least 2,343 buses. It also recommended bus priority lanes.
“Even if buses are cheaper, to reach home from a terminus, you would spend double or more in shared-commute or autos,”said Sivasubramanian. Share autos and vans need to be looped into the system to ferry people to their homes, he added. “This can be tried in a public-private partnership.”
The study offered a few solutions. One: Integrate metro rail, with a terminal right inside Kilambakkam bus terminus. Two: A skywalk connecting the suburban train station to the terminus.
Residents call for an overhaul in bus termini. “The IOC bus terminus near Tondiarpet has no facilities. Same goes for Saidapet, Adyar, Guindy and Mogappair,” said R Ramesh, a civic activist from Old Washermenpet. “People need seating, restrooms, signboards and AC waiting rooms too. Many bus stops don’t even have shelters — such as the ones on Loop Road, Kodambakkam High Road, and Uthamar Gandhi Salai.”
“The frequency of bus number 34 plying from Thiruvottiyur to Ambattur has been reduced. Buses such as 134 and 134A rarely operate,” he added.
GCC plans to fix three bus termini and upgrade 1,700 bus shelters. CMDA is planning to restore the T Nagar terminus.
But for a city on the move, the wheels of public transport are turning too slow.