SETC to hire 20 private non-AC sleeper buses for summer travel needs
This is the first time the SETC has floated tenders to hire private buses though the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Villupuram) has been engaging them since September last year.;
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CHENNAI: The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) has planned to engage 20 non-AC sleeper private buses, along with drivers, to meet the demands of the summer holidays and auspicious days from Chennai and other destinations.
This is the first time the SETC has floated tenders to hire private buses though the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Villupuram) has been engaging them since September last year.
The SETC currently operates 1,080 buses, offering long-distance luxury bus services on both intra- and interstate routes.
A senior official of the SETC said the demand, especially during weekends, festivals, summer holidays, and auspicious days, has outpaced the existing fleet capacity.
“The current demand is primarily for non-AC seater cum sleeper buses, which passengers prefer. As the SETC fleet is insufficient to meet demand. We are planning to hire 20 non-AC sleeper buses along with drivers from private operators on a fixed rate per km,” the official said.
The official also noted that the operation of the private buses would not incur any loss to the corporation as the cost of the operation will be much less than procuring new buses. SETC will also add 50 new buses to its fleet shortly.
Meanwhile, the TNSTC Villupuram and Madurai also floated a tender to hire private mofussil buses for weekends, festival days, and full moon and new moon days.
A senior Transport Department official said that after last year’s Deepavali, they started hiring private buses to meet additional demands. “By hiring private buses, we don’t need to divert our buses. Moreover, our bus crew were made to work extra thereby putting road safety to peril.”
CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Employees Federation general secretary K Arumuga Nainar strongly criticised the SETC and other transport corporations and called it an attempt to privatise bus operations. “All the STUs together transported 2.25 crore people a day until a few years ago. They are only catering to 1.75 crore people now. It shows the government’s incapability,” he said.