Flashback: JNNURM Semi Low Floor buses of Madurai
JNNURM – With this funding Coimbatore and Madurai got close to 240 new SLFs. All SLFs procured with this funding were of Fully built Vehicle(FBV) from OEMs Ashok Leyland.
Key points on SLFs of Madurai.
- Branded as Vaigai Ratham.
- These SLFs confirm to Urban bus standards and later we got standards for all type of buses released and buses need to be built according to this specification now.
- All AshLey Viking SLFs were built by Irizar TVS from Trichy and Pudhukottai. These came with White and Blue liveries.
- All TATA SLFs were built by TATA Marcopolo and had Blue, Orange, Yellow liveries.
- For sometime these new SLFs were operated in Intercity routes and after a complaint raised to funding agency, these were brought back to city routes.
- All SLFs had GPS devices fitted for stop announcements. But they were never used.
- TN58 N 1811 – Marcopolo got rear camera fitted on trial.
- TN58 N 1756 and TN58N1758 are the first set of Marcopolo buses to get Yellow livery. They both ran in C3/C4 circular routes.
- Very few buses got JNNURM Tamil stickers in front windshield.
- Logo specifications were followed correctly in Marcopolo and Ashley SLFs it were quite smaller.
- Marcopolo built buses had Seat belts in front seats and seats near to doors as per standards.
We have done a writeup when JNNURM buses were inaugurated. The post details are below
Some Visuals..
TNSTC Blog - TamilNadu State Transport Corporation Blog 