Tamil Nadu names approved highway motels after complaints of long-distance buses fleecing for food

CHENNAI: Following complaints of the long-distance buses halting at undesignated motels on highways, forcing exorbitant charges for unhygienic food on travellers, the transport department has released the list of approved motels in the state on its website.

The move comes in after many commuters placed repeated complaints about passengers being fleeced with many hyped charges, even for going to the loo.

The government has now said that the scheduled stops can be accessed at the following website, www.arasubus.tn.gov.in/motel.php, which would help passengers raise issues.

The State Express Transport Corporation, the nodal body for selecting motels for government buses, enlist them through a tendering process. The buses would halt for food at designated motels on highways when the journey is longer than three hours in the afternoon or night. The bus crew should stop the bus only at designated motels not in any other unauthorised eateries, according to the rules set.

Restaurants pay a certain amount to the Transport Corporation, along with GST, according to the number of government buses that have stopped at their restaurants every month.

Arappor Iyakkam which has been highlighting the issues over the motels selected through the tendering process, had demanded that the government publish a list of which buses will stop at which restaurants. “By this, chances of irregularities will be prevented and government bus passengers will benefit more,” it said, adding that if government buses stop only at authorised restaurants, there is a way to complain to the government and solve the problems faced by the passengers.