MTC’s petition on procuring low-floor buses withdrawn

CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) on Thursday withdrew its miscellaneous petition seeking a clarification on the direction of the Madras High Court to procure the disabled friendly low-floored buses in the city.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala made it clear that they passed the orders on the ground of a direction passed by the Supreme Court. “If the MTC has any doubt in procuring the low-floored / disabled friendly buses, they should approach only the Apex Court,” the bench noted.

The MTC submitted that they are ready to procure disabled-friendly buses for the corporation. According to the MTC, the issue is the roads are not meeting the standards to accommodate the low-floored buses.

“The low-floored buses could easily get in contact with the ground surface. The same could cause damage to the buses. Therefore, it will cause loss to the state’s exchequer, ” the MTC noted.

However, judges firmly said that the Corporation needs to get clarification only from the SC. The MTC submitted it would withdraw the petition and the HC granted liberty to do so.

Recently, while hearing a PIL of a disabled rights activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar, the first bench passed directions to the MTC and Greater Chennai Corporation to procure disabled-friendly buses as well as to revamp the bus stops in a way accessible to the physically challenged people.