Velachery Among 11 Locations in Chennai to Get Air-Conditioned Bus Shelters

The Greater Chennai Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with seven companies to construct and maintain 11 air-conditioned bus shelters across Chennai, including one at the Vijay Nagar Bus Terminal in Velachery. The project is funded through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and targets high-footfall transit points in the city.

GCC Commissioner G S Sameeran announced that the selected shelters will adopt standardised designs equipped with air conditioning, CCTV surveillance cameras, Wi-Fi connectivity, and ramps integrated with adjoining footpaths. The structures will also feature puff panel roofing, toughened or laminated safety glass, lighting, bus route information displays, USB charging points, and panic buttons for commuter safety.

According to the commissioner, the initiative aligns with the Chief Minister's vision to modernise public transit infrastructure across Chennai and will eventually be expanded to more areas. In total, the civic body has identified 1,562 bus shelters across the city for modernisation based on location suitability and feasibility assessments. While certain busy transit points will receive air conditioning, other modern bus shelters without AC will also be established.

The corporation also plans to rebuild shelters that were removed or disturbed during ongoing metro rail construction work across different corridors.

The 11 initial locations chosen for the air-conditioned shelters include the Vijay Nagar Bus Terminal in Velachery, DMS on Anna Salai, Mylapore Bus Stand, Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Vadapalani, Vadapalani Bus Stand near SIMS Hospital on both sides, Little Mount in Guindy, Avichi School on Arcot Road, Alandur Metro station, and Egmore on both its north and south sides.