Unions accuse MTC field officials of slapping fake charges

Recently, when a Checking Inspector (CI) asked a woman passenger of an MTC small bus (S43) for ticket, she claimed that the conductor did not provide a ticket even after paying the Rs 7 fare. However, the conductor vehemently denied the charge. 

When the CI checked the collection amount, it was found short by one rupee. “This is a kind of tactic to reduce the expenditure, as the corporation failed to recover from the loss of revenue since fare revision in MTC buses,” charged K Anbazhagan, joint secretary, Nethaji Transport Workers Union. 

Similarly, a conductor was slapped with a penalty of Rs 46,000 for missing manual ticket bundles (route 56C). 

“Firstly, the officials did not provide hand-held Electronic Ticketing Machine (ETM). Secondly, when a conductor misses ticket bundles, the officials should charge five per cent of the printing cost of total number tickets he has. 

Further, the conductor should also register complaint in the nearby police station and submit documents like CSR or FIR copy to the concerned depot management. However, the MTC officers simply slapped the fine on him,” Anbazhagan added. 

When contacted, a senior official of MTC denied the charges. “Bus crew facing harassment can register their complaints with the respective branch managers and we will also instruct the field officers to act properly,” the official said.