1 week Ago
Chennai: After nearly 10 years, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), on Friday, resumed operation of buses from Chennai airport. Initially, MTC will operate buses from Chennai airport to two destinations Kilambakkam and Akkarai. Transport minister S S Sivasankar and MSME minister T M Anbarasan flagged off buses on two new routes at Chennai airport in the presence of airport director C V Deepak and other officials.
Eight buses will make 84 trips between Chennai airport and Kilambakkam (route no. MAA1) at 15-minute intervals via Pallavaram, Chromepet, Tambaram, and Vandalur. Meanwhile, seven buses will connect Chennai airport with Akkarai (route no.
MAA2) via Pallavaram, Radial Road, OMR Road, Thoraipakkam, and Sholinganallur in 35 trips a day at 30-minute intervals. The buses will depart from the A6 bay near the T2 international terminal, a few metres from all the arrival terminals, and will exit via the T1 domestic terminal. It was a long-pending demand of both flyers and thousands of contract workers at Chennai airport to have an economical mode of transport from the airport premises.
Commuters said they walked to GST Road to board buses that came packed with commuters from various destinations. Earlier MTC operated AC Volvo buses from Chennai airport to Chennai Central and Broadway, but services were withdrawn citing poor patronage after the metro became operational. The new bus services to Kilambakkam and Akkarai will connect the airport to remote destinations.
The two small buses that were connecting Chennai airport metro with Tambaram and Kundrathur will ply as usual, MTC officials said. The ministers also flagged off additional buses linking Adambakkam NGO Colony with Kilambakkam (18S), Tambaram with South Malaiyambakkam (66M), and Anakaputhur with Broadway (60) on Friday..
