Passengers scramble for space in Kovai

Bus stands in Singanallur, Gandhipuram, Pollachi and Tirupur remained jam-packed and labourers hailing from Madurai, Tirunelveli and delta districts, who were employed in the numerous textile units, thronged the bus and railway stations in Tirupur on Thursday.

“Almost 20 per cent of the workforce from the southern and delta districts have left to their hometowns already. Many firms have granted leave for workers on Wednesday itself. It would be an extended holiday for labourers as they are likely to return only after the weekend,” GS Babuji, general secretary of Seconds Collar Shirts and Inner Wears Small Scale Manufacturers Association (SISMA), said.

Tirupur has a workforce of about six lakh and a majority of them are migrants and others are from southern states. “Workers from Andhra Pradesh have come back to the State after voting. Labourers from north India will go on leave when their turn comes. Firms in the region have been encouraging their employees to vote. In their absence, we would manage with the local workforce,” he added.

Pollachi bus terminus saw people coming from different parts of the State to reach Valparai. However, the passengers were stranded at the bus terminus for a long time due to lack of adequate bus service to the hill station.

Several passengers, especially women, who unable to find space in the crowded buses were forced to hire private taxis to reach their destination. “It cost’s Rs 42 in a bus from Pollachi to Valparai. However, rental cars made a killing by charging Rs 200 to Rs 250 per passenger in the absence of adequate number of buses,” S Padmanaban, a teaching faculty from Chennai, said. Similarly, railway stations, too, witnessed a surge in passenger movement.