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MTC bus patronage has reached pre-Covid levels now in Chennai, but what about running all the buses?
Posted on: 14/Dec/2021 9:45:00 AM
These days, the MTC buses in Chennai are overflowing with passengers during the peak hours. The patronage in these buses has almost reached the pre-Covid levels. Good to hear, but what about the expansion plans or running a full fleet!!
After the lockdown, MTC buses resumed full fledged services from July month is well known to us. It is now said that less than 15lakh passengers traveled in the MTC buses daily in Chennai. This was according to official data from MTC. There has been an increase in the patronage in the MTC buses ever since it was announced that women can travel for free in these government city buses. Now, the daily footfalls have crossed 28lakhs because the educational institutions were reopened for the students. The demand for the MTC buses would become more because of more students opting for the direct physical classes in their respective educational institutions.
The important question in everyone’s mind now is what the Tamil Nadu government would do to tackle the increase in the demand of MTC buses. It is shocking to mention that many students risk their lives by traveling on footboards of MTC buses in Chennai and this especially in the peak hours.
It was mentioned by a senior officer belonging to MTC that Chennai needs further 5400 buses to handle the peak hour travel of passengers.
It must be remembered that the Union ministry and urban housing has advised the metropolitan cities to have atleast 60 buses for every one lakh population. Truth is that there are atleast 90lakhs residents in Chennai. In the budget session in August 2021, it was announced that Tamil Nadu would procure more diesel or electric buses for Chennai city but the government hasn’t yet floated tenders also. MTC bus operations on the suburban places in Chennai have been reduced whereas more MTC buses have been diverted along on-demand routes in the city.
It was brought out by a resident from Puzhal in Chennai that many had to wait for more than an hour to get a bus to Red Hills. Truth is that route rationalization would occur after studying the demand in certain routes.
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