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Owing to low demand, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has decided to withdraw all the air-conditioned bus services to the airport from the Chennai Central railway station. Last year, Transport Minister K N Nehru inaugurated the air-conditioned bus services for the convenience of the passengers moving to and from the airport. The services have been in operations on two different routes one via T Nagar and DMS and the other via Adyar and Mandaveli. Everyday the buses used to execute 36 trips in both the directions.
According to MTC officials, the buses services are being scrapped mainly because of the lack of demand among the passengers. Most the passengers opt for private vehicles or other means instead of using MTC's buses. As a result of which, the daily revenue generation from the air-condition bus services dwindled drastically. According to MTC officials, the buses used to generate only a few thousands of rupees in collections each day.
MTC fixed the ticket fare from the airport to the Central station at Rs 100 which was later brought down to Rs 50. But the reduction in ticket fares failed to attract much passengers. At the end the MTC has decided to cease the operations of the air-condition buses. The decision was taken after observing that apart from passengers owning personal cars, those travelling by air on official duty have arrangements for vehicles made by their offices. Others who stay at hotels get conveyance facilities from the hotels.
