MTC awards contract for 600 more electric buses under phase-2 Chennai City Partnership
The contract has been issued under Phase II of the World Bank-supported Chennai City Partnership Programme
New MTC E-Buses
CHENNAI: In a major step towards expanding its pollution-free public transport fleet, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (Chennai) Ltd (MTC) has awarded contracts for the procurement, operation and maintenance of 600 low-floor electric buses, including 400 air-conditioned vehicles, to OHM Global Mobility Private Limited and Traveltime Mobility India Pvt Ltd.
The contract has been issued under Phase II of the World Bank-supported Chennai City Partnership Programme. Of the total, OHM will supply and operate 400 e-buses, including 280 AC units, while Traveltime Mobility will provide 200 buses, of which 120 will be air-conditioned. The agencies will also develop allied electric and civil infrastructure under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model.
Four companies submitted bids for the project, but only OHM, Traveltime and EVEY Trans Private Limited qualified in the technical evaluation. In the financial bidding, OHM emerged as the lowest bidder (L1) with a quote of Rs 83.23 per km. EVEY Trans quoted Rs 85.75, and Traveltime quoted Rs 87.10. After negotiations, MTC brought the per-km fee down to Rs 77.17 for non-AC buses and Rs 80.86 for AC buses.
The plan includes establishing charging stations and upgrading depots to handle the expanded electric fleet. Each bus is expected to operate 6,500 km a month for 12 years under the GCC model, with operators paid according to distance operated.
Under Phase I of the same programme, OHM was awarded the contract to supply 625 e-buses, including 225 AC vehicles, at Rs 77.16 per km for non-AC and Rs 80.86 per km for AC buses. MTC currently operates 267 electric low-floor buses, 57 of them air-conditioned, from the Vyasarpadi and Perumbakkam depots, providing accessible and environmentally sustainable transit options.
To support the new fleet, MTC has floated tenders to upgrade six existing depots, Alandur, Central II, Avadi, Padiyanallur, Perambur and Ayyappanthangal, to accommodate 600 electric buses. Upgradation will include yard concreting, RCC flooring, new roofing for maintenance sheds, additional inspection pits and toilets, and renovation of administrative buildings.
New bus depots will also be set up in Tiruvallur, Varadharajapuram (Outer Ring Road), Thaiyur (near Thiruporur), the Institute of Road Transport campus at Tharamani, Mamandur and Attanthangal (near Padiyanallur). An MTC official said tenders had been floated to establish these depots to shift diesel buses out of the existing facilities, which will be converted to handle electric bus operations.
