MTC denies monthly passes; buses on key routes stopped
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai: After scrapping daily passes, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai has now stopped issuing monthly seasonal tickets (MST) on select routes, including important ones like 29C connecting Thiruvanmiyur and Perambur.
Besides this, bus services on key routes, inaugurated by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa including route 164 connecting Perambur and MMDA Mathur have been withdrawn.
Following protests from various quarters against the steep fare hike, MTC announced that 300 express service buses would be converted into ordinary ones to benefit lower and middle-income groups. However, on the other hand, MTC cut down the number of ordinary buses and stopped services on uneconomical routes.
After petitioning government authorities repeatedly, the then CM Jayalalithaa had sanctioned extension of MTC services to MMDA Mathur near Madhavaram. Bus number 164 served as the lifeline for thousands of students, officegoing people from this neighbourhood. “This is the only bus which connects us with Perambur bus terminus, which serves as a switch-over point for most residents from here,” said R S Babu, secretary of Mathur MMDA residents welfare association.
All six buses operated by MTC along an extended route of 29C are express services and the ordinary services on this route have been stopped, say regular users. This bus connects south Chennai with industrial hubs in North Chennai. “Passengers are forced to pay double of what was collected before the fare revision,” said G Chandrasekar from Thiruvanmiyur. He alleged that the depot authorities refused to issue monthly season tickets for the said route. MTC authorities refused to comment when TOIcontacted them regarding this.
In addition to this, regular users questioned the reason behind delay in reintroducing daily passes. State transport minister MR Vijayabaskar announced that passes were temporarily scrapped due to rampant misuse and assured that they would be reintroduced soon.
A week down the line, nothing has materialised. “MTC is fleecing passengers by not issuing daily passes under Travel As You Please Ticket (TAYPT) scheme. It is okay to increase the rates, but not stop them completely,” Rengachari, a retired government official residing in the suburbs.
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai: After scrapping daily passes, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai has now stopped issuing monthly seasonal tickets (MST) on select routes, including important ones like 29C connecting Thiruvanmiyur and Perambur.
Besides this, bus services on key routes, inaugurated by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa including route 164 connecting Perambur and MMDA Mathur have been withdrawn.
Following protests from various quarters against the steep fare hike, MTC announced that 300 express service buses would be converted into ordinary ones to benefit lower and middle-income groups. However, on the other hand, MTC cut down the number of ordinary buses and stopped services on uneconomical routes.
After petitioning government authorities repeatedly, the then CM Jayalalithaa had sanctioned extension of MTC services to MMDA Mathur near Madhavaram. Bus number 164 served as the lifeline for thousands of students, officegoing people from this neighbourhood. “This is the only bus which connects us with Perambur bus terminus, which serves as a switch-over point for most residents from here,” said R S Babu, secretary of Mathur MMDA residents welfare association.
All six buses operated by MTC along an extended route of 29C are express services and the ordinary services on this route have been stopped, say regular users. This bus connects south Chennai with industrial hubs in North Chennai. “Passengers are forced to pay double of what was collected before the fare revision,” said G Chandrasekar from Thiruvanmiyur. He alleged that the depot authorities refused to issue monthly season tickets for the said route. MTC authorities refused to comment when TOIcontacted them regarding this.
In addition to this, regular users questioned the reason behind delay in reintroducing daily passes. State transport minister MR Vijayabaskar announced that passes were temporarily scrapped due to rampant misuse and assured that they would be reintroduced soon.
A week down the line, nothing has materialised. “MTC is fleecing passengers by not issuing daily passes under Travel As You Please Ticket (TAYPT) scheme. It is okay to increase the rates, but not stop them completely,” Rengachari, a retired government official residing in the suburbs.
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