“Chennai Ula”: How MTC’s retro-styled buses evoke the city’s iconic bus culture
MTC has introduced retro-styled buses as part of “Chennai Ula” initiative, making buses as the cultural ambassadors of the city’s heritage and nostalgia.
The pulse of the Chennai (previously Madras) city can be found in the unmistakable rumble of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses. For decades, these state buses have served as the metallic veins of the city spaces. Clad in their iconic paint shades of Blue-White, Green-White, and Red-White in the earlier decades to today’s “pink buses”, these buses are the moving theatres of memories for millions of folks.
Recently, the MTC flagged-off the “Chennai Ula” (Ula means ‘Tour’) bus services that take us back in time and drive nostalgia! The operator has remodeled five 9-year old buses into vintage-style heritage vehicles, gleaming with retro charm to catch a glimpse of the city’s iconic bus culture from the 1980s and 1990s. They will ply on a circular route connecting the city’s cultural, historical and tourist landmarks to offer an immersive experience to sightseers.
Why Vintage matters?
These buses in vibrant Crimson Red livery visually triggers the legend of the the Pallavan Transport Corporation (PTC) that defined the city movements and transport culture in a big way. The “retro’ fleet isn’t just a design choice, it part of an curated narrative to transform a mundane commute into a heritage experience.
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Not to mention the inextricable link of the city’s bus culture to that of the Kollywood; may it be the romanticized “Pallavan Conductor” or the iconic “Valaiyosai” song sequence from 1988 movie Sathyaa in which the PTC bus was the ultimate urban backdrop for romance and rebellion. We can’t dismiss the cultural phenomenon (and a menace) of “footboard travel” among city’s youth easily, just as the legend behind certain route numbers such as that of ’12B’ that continue to evoke emotions even today.
That way, buses have always been a powerful cultural artifacts in city spaces. Take for instance the city of London. The first thing that we visualize when we think of the city are the red Routemaster double-decker buses! It’s a successful case of turning a public utility into a global brand. The London ‘red’ buses, and even the ‘Black’ cabs, have become the symbol of British style and shared heritage.
Bucking up global trend
Chennai is catching up with this global trend. Along with the retro-styled buses, the city has also reintroduced a double-decker bus for local tourism, after a break of over two decades! A Switch EiV 22, India’s first electric double-deck city bus, in fiery red livery with “Tamil Vazhga” (“Long Live Tamil”) decal has been donated to the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. The bus is now pressed for commuting tourists to major sites of significance on Anna Salai and Kamarajar Salai.
To conclude, buses are now being recognized as the cultural ambassadors of the Chennai city. In a world of mundane transit, these buses stand out. They enable an immersive tourism, engaging with the bus culture that defined and continues to define the daily life for millions. The “modern-retro” fusion evokes a civic pride among the locals, which can be a big push for them take up public transport as well.
Related: London’s Double-Decker Buses: The Big Red | Nostalgia
