OPS demands regularisation of Omni bus fares during festive season

CHENNAI: Citing the private buses, which were overcharging the passengers, especially during festival season, former chief minister and ousted AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Tuesday urged the DMK government to regularise Omni bus fares for the benefit of the people.

"People usually travel by buses to their native places from Chennai to celebrate various festivals", he said adding "taking advantage of it, the private buses often overcharge the passengers".

Stating that people have planned to go to their native places for this year's "Ayudha Pooja" festival, Panneerselvam claimed, "at this juncture, Omni sleeper A/C buses had planned to charge Rs 2,000 from Chennai to Trichy, Rs 2,500 for Madurai, Rs 2,350 for Coimbatore, Rs 2,700 for Tirunelveli, Rs 2,500 and for Nagarcoil it was about Rs 4,000".

Pointing out that the fares were also expected to be increased twice for ordinary class buses, the ousted AIADMK leader said "if this was the situation one week before the festival season, adding to the woes, the omnibus fares are anticipated to be further increased a couple of days before the festival".

"The government should put a full stop to this long-term issue and people expect that plying more state-run buses would be the only permanent solution", he said adding it was also the government's duty to fulfill the people's expectations.

"Therefore chief minister should immediately intervene for plying more government buses during festival seasons and holiday times besides regularising private bus fares, which should ensure that the owners were not affected", he said.