Commuters in Chennai relying on the government's Chennai One App for booking bus tickets and tracking services are facing absurdly long wait times, with the platform sometimes displaying delays of up to 19,000 minutes or roughly 13 days. The app, launched as a modern solution akin to popular cab aggregators, is failing its basic purpose due to persistent technical failures and poor GPS integration.
Absurd Wait Times and Invisible Buses
The app's real-time tracking feature has become a source of confusion rather than convenience. In one glaring instance, a bus on route 101 from Nerkundram to MGR Central was shown to arrive in 19,280 minutes. Another user trying to book a ticket from Rohini Theatre to Panagal Park on route 72 was met with a wait time of 16,455 minutes, equivalent to over 10 days. Ironically, in these cases, the actual buses arrived within 30 minutes of booking, leaving passengers who relied on the app's data in the lurch while planning their journeys.
Older Bus Fleet Left in the Dark
The situation is significantly worse for the older fleet of ordinary whiteboard buses. For these vehicles, no live trackers appear at all on the app. Commuters have no way of knowing if a bus is five minutes away or has already departed. At major hubs like MGR Central, passengers waiting for services such as route 28 from Egmore to Thiruvottiyur reported that bus movement was completely invisible on the app, with no information on the next arrival.
This technological blackout has real-world consequences. K Sathish Kumar, a commuter at the Old Central Bus Stand, recounted waiting for 30 minutes before giving up and opting for the metro. The core issue stems from infrastructure: not all of the 3,500 buses in the MTC fleet are equipped with GPS trackers, and many of those that are have not been properly integrated with the Chennai One App.
Official Response and Upgrade Challenges
While newer buses like the Ashok Leyland low-floor, ultra-low-floor, and electric vehicles come with better, integrated GPS systems, the older ordinary fare buses are still awaiting this crucial upgrade. Officials acknowledge the problems but attribute them to technical teething troubles.
I Jeyakumar, member-secretary of the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (Cumta), explained, "Even a small wire cut in the GPS tracker may lead to wrong information showing in the app. These are glitches that will be addressed." However, R Sundarapandian, the MTC joint managing director and official spokesperson, was unavailable for comment on the widespread disruptions.
The persistent failures of the Chennai One App highlight the gap between digital ambition and ground reality in urban public transport. Until the GPS integration is universal and the glitches are resolved, Chennai's bus commuters will continue to face uncertainty in their daily travel.
