Transport privatisation: CITU says Min’s assurance not convincing

CHENNAI: CITU state president A Soundararajan on Tuesday said Transport Minister’s assurance that the transport corporations would not be privatised seems to be unbelievable considering the recent tender, ban on recruitment, non-filing up of vacancies, and nonoperation of the 900 buses in Chennai.

Addressing the transport corporation employees at a meeting to mark the end of the campaign to strengthen public transport here, he said that they wanted the minister to fulfill his assurances against privatisation.

“Out of the 20,000 buses operated by eight transport corporations, 10,000 buses were operated on a non-profit basis in the rural and hilly areas. Students, women, differently abled and senior citizens enjoy free travel on the buses. The corporation contributes to the socio-economic development of the state. Hence the government should focus on the development of the transport corporation, instead of reducing the bus services and privatising,” he said.

CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation conducted mini-marathons in various parts of the state and bike rallies to create awareness on public transport, seeking budgetary allocations, filling up vacancies, and payment of DA hikes for pensioners.

The federation general secretary Arumugha Nainar moved a resolution seeking the government to allocate funds in the state budget on March 20 for the loss suffered by the transport corporation which operates buses on low fares and non-profit routes.In the resolution, he also sought cancellation of the 2018 government order which reduced the number of buses operated by the corporation from 22,000 to 20,000 and the strength of the employees.

He said employees who retire from the services should be paid all the settlements on the day of retirement itself.He added that even the terminal benefits were not paid to the deceased employees’ families on time.

He also demanded the corporation to hike the DA for the pensioners as per the court direction.