Managing huge crowds during peak hours is worrying MTC in Chennai now
Posted on: 06/May/2021 9:14:47 AM - No. of views : (4223)
Now, the drivers and conductors of MTC buses in Chennai have got an important reason to worry!!
The buses would be operated with just 50percent occupancy and this was announced by the TN government. It is now brought out that the drivers and conductors of MTC buses are worrying about how to control huge crowds and maintain social distancing norms inside the buses during peak hours.
It must be noted that MTC has mentioned that commuters would be allowed to occupy just 50% of seats in the buses from Thursday onwards until further orders. The total fleet strength of MTC is 3300 but currently MTC operates just 2800 buses per day. Many conductors were of the view that the existing norm of taking passengers up to the seating capacity and not allowing them to travel by standing could not be implemented in the peak hours of time.
Till now, the MTC buses have been carrying 40 passengers but from today onwards they would have just 20 passengers from today.
According to a bus conductor at Avadi bus terminus, during the morning peak hours an average 60 passengers get into the buses. He was unsure about how to manage the passengers from Thursday onwards.
Unless the number of passengers comes down, the 50 percent occupancy would remain on the paper and MTC buses would be thronged by many. He added that the 50% occupancy rule might not be implemented. The suburban trains too have put restrictions on the public travel in the partial lockdown. Truth is that this would only increase the number of passengers in the MTC buses plying along the local train routes.
The responsibility of enforcing social distancing inside the buses must not only be left to the bus drivers and conductors alone. The officials belonging to the government plus police department must also be given the responsibility to manage crowds at the boarding points. This was mentioned by Mr. K. Arumugha Nainar, general secretary of CITU affiliated Transport Corporation Employees Union. He concluded that the new rule would be difficult to implement like in the past considering the number of passengers and buses being operated.
