Chennai: Three new MTC bus routes were introduced between Madhya Kailash and Siruseri on Old Mahabalipuram Road (IT Corridor) on Friday.

There will now be a bus every 15 minutes between 7am and 11am and between 5pm and 9pm for the benefit of the scores of commuters,mostly employees of IT companies,using the stretch.There are 200 buses operating along the stretch already.

Unlike many of the existing routes that cover the main road,buses on the new routes will ply through the interior areas where some companies are located.For example,about 4km after Navalur,buses on one of the new routes will turn right and go through areas where there are several IT companies, said a senior official.

No AC buses have been introduced as of now but we will look at the response for these buses and introduce AC services later, said the official.

Representatives from the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) say that more than one lakh people are employed in nearly 100 companies along the stretch.These new routes will result in many employees preferring MTC buses to their two-wheelers or cars.This will reduce the congestion and will facilitate better transport, said Nasscom regional director K Purushotham.Though the buses are not exclusive for IT employees,the timings have been tailor made for them.There will be 100 trips in a day on these routes, said Purushotham.

Arecent study done by the Institute for Transport and Development Policy showed that MTC and private buses occupied only 16% of the road but accounted for 63% of the commuters.

MTC said ticket sales show that most commuters working in the IT Corridor travel there from Mylapore,Saidapet,Velachery and Thiruvanmiyur.There is considerable traffic on the road connecting Thoraipakkam and Chromepet as well