Retirement of drivers & conductors to impact bus operations
Due to non-recruitment since 2014, the number of vacancies among the drivers, conductors and technical staff have gone impacting the bus operation by the corporations.
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CHENNAI: Amid the acute shortage of drivers and conductors affecting the operation of the buses, the transport corporations are staring at another major crisis with the retirement of about 600-700 employees including drivers and conductors by the end of this month.
Eight transport corporations including Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) together have a fleet strength of 20,127 buses including 18,723 scheduled buses and 1404 spare buses operated on over 10,000 routes across the state.
It has a staff strength of 1.16 lakh including drivers and conductors.
Due to non-recruitment since 2014, the number of vacancies among the drivers, conductors and technical staff have gone impacting the bus operation by the corporations.
According to corporation sources, nearly 600-700 employees will be retiring in June end.
"The retirement of the employees reduces the staff strength at levels further. Without replacement by any means, the bus operations will be further affected, " the official said, adding that the attempts to appoint the drivers on a contract basis and engagement of retired drivers and conductors were being opposed by the trade unions.
The number of employees in the eight transport corporations has come down by 28,559 persons from 1,44,818 employees on March 3, 2015, to 1,16,259 employees on February 28, 2023.
CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation (TNSTEF) general secretary K Arumugha Naianar said that the only way to overcome the manpower shortages including drivers and conductors is through fresh recruitments.
"Since 2014, there was no replacement for the retired employees. To reduce the number of vacancies, the previous AIADMK government issued a government order to bring down the bus fleet strength by 2000 buses in 2018," he said, adding that after increasing the retirement age to 60 years during the Covid, the corporation was able to manage the services for two years.
"Now the increase in vacancies is impacting the bus operations, " he said.
