TNSTC Coimbatore to increase fleet strength of low-floor red buses

Coimbatore to add 100 low-floor buses to its fleet, with good patronage and improved features for passengers.

: An addition of 100 low-floor buses to the fleet of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Coimbatore Ltd., is in the offing, according to official sources.

So far, 180 low-floor red buses have been put to operation in Coimbatore city, with nearly full-seating occupancy. “The patronage for the red buses has been good,” a senior official said.

The bus with a seating capacity for 40 passengers is designed to accommodate the same number of standing passengers. Road tax is levied factoring in both sitting and standing passengers, it is learnt.

Notwithstanding the patronage owing to features that are conducive for differently-abled and elderly passengers, the operation of these buses will not be increased at one go when the fleet gets augmented. “It is because the number of routes being constant, the normal fare buses will have to be operated in very many routes in the interests of the public,” the official said.

Of the 1,171 BS-6 diesel buses to be purchased with financial support of German Development Bank, 115 had been apportioned for Coimbatore. These buses would replace the old ones being operated with normal fares, the official added.

The notable aspect of the low-floor red bus is the seat ergonomics. Also, last August, GPS-based automatic bus stop announcement system was Installed in 80 buses. It has been helping passengers travelling in crowded buses during peak hours to know their stops. Passengers listen to the announcements on arrival of the next bus stop 100 metres ahead.

While the operator has installed the GPS in all the buses, the implementation has not yet gone beyond the trial phase. Being a revenue model, the operator has installed the GPS device along with six speakers and an audio amplifier on each bus, to make earnings from running advertisements in between the announcement of stops.