After much delay, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has launched ‘Chennai Bus’ - a mobile app that will provide the location of MTC buses on a real-time basis. This app will also help people monitor the movement of 3,233 MTC buses with location tracking devices. The buses run through 602 routes and halt at 6,026 stoppages, including destinations. Around 25 lakh people use the MTC buses daily. The number has dropped drastically since the onset of COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, around 35 lakh people commuted through MTC buses daily.
Launching the app on Wednesday, May 4, Tamil Nadu Transport Minister SS Sivasankar said, “Using this, passengers can find the live location of all MTC buses along a particular route, estimated arrival time, and nearest bus stops from any given location in the city.”
This app helps people reach railway stations and other major destinations in the city without any hassle. When a user clicks the ‘bus route’ option and enters the route number, all the operational buses will be displayed on the screen. The user can then click on the route option to view the location of buses running between two destinations and will know the expected time of their arrival.
In case of an emergency, commuters can send distress signals to their contacts or police officials through the bus app. This button will send a message to the contact number added by the passengers. An SOS button is placed in the top right corner of the app screen for easy access.
The app’s home screen suggests the names of all the bus stops within a 1km radius. Using the ‘Trip Planner’ feature, users can know the route numbers of a bus to reach their destination. While the ‘Contact Us’ option has complaint numbers (Whatsapp/Telegram) and contacts of 31 bus depot branch managers, commuters can save their favourite routes and places using the ‘Favourites’ option. The app also accepts feedback from people. Currently, the app is available only for Android users and has two language options, Tamil and English. ‘Chennai bus’ app can be downloaded from the Google play store.