Row over new bus model delays rollout

Sources said that the department was planning to buy 2,000 buses including 345 Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses that were allotted during last year’s budget. Even the officials prepared blueprint for the 2,000 buses and assured that all the buses will be operated in a phased manner from May 31 across the state.

Interestingly, the officials already scheduled tentative programmes from May 31 and August 31, during which months the new buses will hit the road.

“Going by the present scenario, the transport officials have locked horns with the bus manufacturing unit stating that that buses are not fit for the state’s road infrastructure and other issues like payment issues. So, the transport officials have given another blueprint for modifying the buses,” said a source. There is no possibility for officials to operate new buses by the end of May, he added. M Shanmugam, secretary of Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), ruled out the possibility of buying 2,000 buses at this juncture. “The transport department is intermittently announcing that it will buy electric buses and other type of buses with sleeper class and toilet facility. However, all those proposals remain only on paper,” he said, questioning on how the department can buy buses at a time when it was in a financial soup.

Meanwhile, higher-ups in the department expressed confidence of operating new buses at least from June. “Everything is under process and we will put all efforts to buy the new buses as per schedule,” said the official.