TNSTC, Coimbatore, to replace 100 red buses with new ultra low-floor buses over the next two months

TNSTC Coimbatore to replace 55% low-floor red buses with ultra low-floor buses for improved accessibility and efficiency.

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore, will replace over 55% of the low-floor red buses plying on city routes with ultra low-floor buses.

Out of the 180 low-floor red buses that TNSTC, Coimbatore, operates on city routes, 100 will be replaced with the ultra low-floor buses, S. Sridharan, general manager, TNSTC, Coimbatore, said.

In the first phase, a fleet of 18 buses are set to be used in a week’s time. Over the next couple of months, the entire fleet of 100 buses will be in use, Mr. Sridharan said.

During December 2023, the State government had placed the order for 552 ultra low floor (ULE) buses from Ashok Leyland, of which 100 each were meant for Coimbatore and Madurai, and 352 for Chennai.

The Red buses that get replaced with the ultra low-floor buses, which are designed to be accessible to people with disabilities, will be used for operating the normal bus services.

The old buses that have been in operation for 15 years will be withdrawn from the roads, Mr. Sridharan said.

Over the last couple of months, the TNSTC, Coimbatore, had, taken out from service nearly 25 buses in damaged conditions. As for the existing old buses in operation, periodic maintenance is carried out.