TNSTC’s risky formula

Whenever a major festival is around the corner, state transport corporations announce thousands of special buses and additional services along busy routes to facilitate the huge crowds travel home. However, while passengers using these busy routes are taken care of, a number of less popular destinations do not have any bus services putting those residents to great difficulty. 

Reliable sources in the department confirmed that the corporations usually had very few spare buses in all the regions. “During such festivals, the officials discontinue some services, particularly in rural and small towns, and bring those buses to the respective regions and label them as ‘Special Buses,” a transport department source said. “Worse still, the officials would reduce the trips between some districts across the state that generate lesser revenue and will increase such trips from Chennai to earn more income.” 

The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is operating around 22,000 mofussil buses, while State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) ply around 1,000 buses. The state has a total number of six transport regions from where such buses are being operated to neighbouring districts. The state transport department usually operates additional buses during festivals from these regions. Around 2,000 TNSTC buses would be brought to Villuppuram region alone so that the officials could operate such buses from Chennai and dedicate them to longer routes. 

A Soundararajan, President, Tamil Nadu Transport Employees Federation, told DTNext that at a time when the state department is facing scarcity of spare parts, how could it have spare buses? “What happens in such festival seasons is this: the top officials instruct all the heads of regions to pick buses plying in rural and small town parts of the state. Those buses would be branded as ‘special buses’ and such practice would largely affect public in rural areas, who have to wait a long time to reach their destinations,” he said.

K Veeraragavan, general secretary, State Transport Retired Employees Association (Chennai Branch) said the whole exercise was a huge ‘eyewash’. “Picking buses from various parts of the state, the department tries to earn more revenue by operating many buses at long routes. There would be a high possibility for the department to operate more number of unfit buses, during such occasions,” he said. 

Meanwhile, drivers and conductors of TNSTC are lamenting the high pressure they are under to work overtime. “The department is already facing staff-shortage and under these circumstances, we will be compelled to work overtime till the Pongal holidays end. Though special buses are being operated, only the existing employees work as there are no ‘special’ drivers and conductors,” said a TNSTC driver, seeking anonymity. He added that bus services in some regions would be reduced, while the services would be increased in accordance with the demand and crowds in certain regions. So, operating special buses is nothing but shifting services, he added.

“If there are 30 trips between Tiruchy and Madurai, the officials will reduce them to 15, which will be used in additional and crowded routes,” said another TNSTC driver. The crew of the bus would be compelled to show proper revenue at any cost, he added. 

As the department already has a shortage of technicians as a result of which it operates unfit buses, it would be more arduous for passengers travelling in the state mofussil buses, said a technician who claimed that passengers’ safety was also put to test. “The officials will focus only on revenue during festivals and in such a condition, there is no possibility for all the buses to undergo regular maintenance works,” he said. 

State transport officials however refute the allegation and claim that they do have spare buses. “We have six regions and we will pick additional buses from these regions as they have around 200 to 300 spare buses in each region. We will never discontinue bus services across the state,” said a top official, TNSTC. 

When asked about the staff, the official maintained that “we have instructed all the employees particularly drivers and conductors to work during the festival season and we have enough employees. However, bus drivers and conductors would not be forced to work all through the day,” he said.