With only a day left for Deepavali, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is gearing up to meet the rush of passengers before and after the festival by operating additional buses on a few routes.
Officials from the TNSTC said that nearly 61 buses were operated to Chennai from Madurai on Sunday and nearly 75 buses were expected to be operated on Monday. “We will be operating at least 200 more buses than the usual number of buses which ply from Madurai,” they also added.
A senior official from the TNSTC, however, said the districts around Madurai needed more buses to be operated as there were more crowds going there. “There are many persons who take buses to Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Salem and Tiruppur from the city. Too much of attention is given on operating buses to Chennai and as a result, these districts lack better connectivity and the rush of waiting passengers becomes unmanageable,” he said.
Passengers who have been booking tickets to travel to Chennai through private omni buses said while there wasn’t a drastic increase in rates, they had noticed a price difference of at least Rs.200 in view of the festive season demand.
“I have, however, reserved my tickets to Chennai in advance through online booking, since last year I was asked to pay Rs.1,200 for a non-A/C bus ticket at the counter when I went there at the last minute,” said L. Gayathree, recounting an experience with a private omni bus operator.
For passengers like her who had grievances, the Regional Transport Officers (RTOs) have formed six special teams which will check fare hikes, overloading of passengers in vehicles and transportation of crackers.
“The teams will consist of RTOs and Motor Vehicle Inspectors and will check buses plying out of the city. If a passenger who is travelling out of the city reports excess fare collection to us, we will notify Motor Vehicle Inspectors at their destination who will apprehend the vehicle,” said J.K. Bhaskaran, RTO of Madurai Central.
