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Chennai’s ₹697 crore electric buses: Do they serve people who need it most?
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Citizen Matters
The first phase alone involves acquring 625 electric buses at a reported cost of ₹697 crore.
Questions of accountability and accessibilityThere’s lack of data on whether Chennai’s electric buses reach commuters who need it the most.
The debate, therefore, is not over whether electric buses are affordable, but whether that affordability has been measured.
Dense neighbourhoods with narrow internal roads may require smaller electric buses or regular MTC services operating closer to homes.
At the same time, smaller electric buses and regular MTC services could provide neighbourhood connectivity in areas where large buses are operationally unsuitable.