Archive · 8 Jan 2026
Chennai to reintroduce double-decker buses after 17 years
Chennai is bringing back double-decker buses after a long time.
These new buses are electric and air-conditioned, and there will be 20 of them.
The buses will be owned and maintained by a private company, but the MTC will pay for the kilometers they drive.
They won't be everywhere because of their height, but only on routes that are safe for them.
Other cities in India have already started using similar buses.
Chennai had these buses before, but they stopped running in 2008.
Now, they are coming back in a cleaner and more modern version.
Chennai to reintroduce 20 air-conditioned electric double-decker buses after 17 years.
Buses will be procured under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model, owned and maintained by a private contractor.
Services will be restricted to select corridors with adequate vertical clearance for safety.
The initiative aligns with similar efforts in other Indian cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bhubaneswar.
Chennai previously operated double-decker buses from the 1970s, with a brief comeback in 1997-2008.
- Who
- Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and Switch Mobility
- What
- Introduction of 20 air-conditioned electric double-decker buses
- When
- Planned, with a pre-bid meeting on January 13, 2024
- Where
- Chennai, India
- Why
- To modernize and provide sustainable public transport, reviving a legacy from the 1970s
- Number of Buses
- 20
- Type of Buses
- Air-conditioned electric double-decker
- Procurement Model
- Gross Cost Contract (GCC)
- Manufacturer
- Switch Mobility
- Trial Run
- August 2023
- Previous Operation Period
- 1997-2008