Law college students seek free bus pass

CHENNAI: Students of Chennai Dr Ambedkar Government Law College in Pattaraiperumbudur in Tiruvallur urge the State government to extend free travel concessions to law college students as well.

As per MTC website, government college students are eligible for free bus pass, but students claim the bus conductors argue that the facility can be availed only by the students of government arts and science college students.

M Valarmathi, a first-year law student, and a well-known activist, said when law college in Chennai was shifted to Pattaraiperumbudur (near TN border), a student residing in the city had to commute nearly 70 km every day.

“The Madurai Bench of the Madras HC had directed the transport department in 2013 to give free bus passes to law college students. Why wasn’t it implemented? Spending Rs 2,000/month for commute alone is a lot for low-income families,” she said.

Sources in Chennai Dr Ambedkar Government Law College said that after the law college was shifted to Tiruvallur in June 2018, free bus pass was provided to second and third-year students for a year.

An MTC official said that free bus passes are based on the government’s policy decision. “For every free bus pass, the government pays us compensation,” the official said. “To include law college students, the government has to take a policy decision.”