GCC and Police Partner With Private Firms to Build 11 AC Bus Shelters in Chennai
The Greater Chennai Corporation and the Greater Chennai Police on September 1, 2026, signed Memoranda of Understanding with seven institutions to construct 11 air-conditioned bus shelters across the city, including at the Mylapore bus stand. The agreements were exchanged at Ripon Buildings in the presence of Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran and Police Commissioner A. Amalraj, using Corporate Social Responsibility funds.
Under the partnership, Apollo Hospitals will establish facilities at the Mylapore bus stand and at AG-DMS on Anna Salai. Kauvery Hospitals will construct a shelter on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Vadapalani, while Gurunanak College will develop one at the Vijay Nagar bus terminal. SIMS Hospital will build two shelters near its Vadapalani premises. Rohini Hotels will set up a facility at Little Mount, SRM Prime Hospital will build shelters near Avichi School and the Alandur Metro, and Freyer International Logistic will construct shelters on the northern and southern sides of Egmore.
Police Commissioner A. Amalraj said the initiative involves companies converting bus shelters near their premises into air-conditioned units through CSR outreach. He stated that the Corporation has designed a standardised format to ensure uniform aesthetics across the city, where only company advertisements will differ. He added that the sponsoring institutions must handle daily cleaning, provide security arrangements, maintain operational air conditioning, and supply clean drinking water for commuters.
The standardised shelters will measure eight feet in depth and between 20 and 40 feet in width. Amenities will include puff panel roofing, toughened safety glass, CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity, accessible ramps, bus route display information, USB charging ports, panic buttons, and drinking water facilities. The recurring operational expenditure is estimated between ₹40,000 and ₹48,000 per shelter, with companies permitted to display advertisements on the premises free of cost.
Corporation Commissioner G.S. Sameeran noted that the civic body is also working on foot-overbridges equipped with escalators and lifts across 56 locations under a public-private partnership model, with financial feasibility studies underway for 10 sites in the first phase. He added that a larger bus shelter with expanded amenities is planned at Anna Square, alongside modern non-air-conditioned shelters in other areas. The civic body plans to expand upon the existing 1,562 corporation bus shelters to replace facilities disturbed by Metro rail construction.
