TNSTC overpriced tickets for 5yrs, made crores, shows RTI
MTC Guilty Of Scams Like In Coimbatore, Say Activists
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Government records accessed through a series of RTI queries have revealed that government transport company officials illegally operated more than 1,000 buses, permitted only for ordinary services, as express services in Coimbatore between 2012 and 2017.
Back-of-the-envelope calculations show that staff could, by violating norms in this way, have collected excess fare of up to ₹350 crore.
Similar violations by MTC and other transport corporations have gone undetected, said activists.
A direction by the consumer redressal forum to TNSTC, Coimbatore on February 15 opened up a Pandora’s box of illegalities.
Staff members had, for instance, obtained a permit from a regional transport office (RTO) to operate a government bus between Coimbatore Railway Station and Vadavalli as an ordinary service. But they used it for an express service and charged ₹8 as minimum fare instead of ₹5. K Kathirmathiyon, a consumer rights activist, lodged a complaint with a local RTO and then filed a series of RTI petitions.
It turned out that this was not an isolated incident. Nearly 1,000 other government buses were penalised by transport enforcement authorities for similar violations in and around Coimbatore since 2012, replies to Kathirmathiyon’s queries said. Each violation drew a fine of ₹500 to ₹9,000.
But this is the first time that the corporation is facing such heat: The consumer forum has ordered stringent action against violations of permit conditions. All these years, it was let off with a fine and of late, this amount was reduced to ₹100.
“The very idea of collecting fines is to ensure that the lawbreakers do not repeat the offence. However, TNSTC Coimbatore, which earns lakhs every day, was least bothered about paying this minimal amount as fine,” said Kathirmathiyon.
“Other transport corporations have also looted in crores. But no stringent action has been taken against them,” he said.
TOI had earlier reported similar violations by MTC in Chennai. Nearly 110 MTC buses were operated along routes on which they were not supposed to ply, show government records.
This is violation of Rule Number 248 of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 and attracts a fine of ₹2,500 for the first time and ₹5,000 for subsequent violations. Data shows that the MTC in Chennai has been violating this rule since 2011by operating at least two trips in an inappropriate manner.
For instance, bus number M19A is permitted to operate only between T Nagar and Kelambakkam. But staff members operated it till Kancheepuram, showed government records.
MTC staff similarly operated more than 100 other buses from Vadapalani, Broadway, Adyar and Tambaram to Chengalpet, Sunguvarchatram, Mahendra City and other areas nearby.
They owe the transport department ₹190 crore in fines, activists showed. Transport department officials said buses were operated on these routes only during peak hours to meet the additional demand.
MTC Guilty Of Scams Like In Coimbatore, Say Activists
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Government records accessed through a series of RTI queries have revealed that government transport company officials illegally operated more than 1,000 buses, permitted only for ordinary services, as express services in Coimbatore between 2012 and 2017.
Back-of-the-envelope calculations show that staff could, by violating norms in this way, have collected excess fare of up to ₹350 crore.
Similar violations by MTC and other transport corporations have gone undetected, said activists.
A direction by the consumer redressal forum to TNSTC, Coimbatore on February 15 opened up a Pandora’s box of illegalities.
Staff members had, for instance, obtained a permit from a regional transport office (RTO) to operate a government bus between Coimbatore Railway Station and Vadavalli as an ordinary service. But they used it for an express service and charged ₹8 as minimum fare instead of ₹5. K Kathirmathiyon, a consumer rights activist, lodged a complaint with a local RTO and then filed a series of RTI petitions.
It turned out that this was not an isolated incident. Nearly 1,000 other government buses were penalised by transport enforcement authorities for similar violations in and around Coimbatore since 2012, replies to Kathirmathiyon’s queries said. Each violation drew a fine of ₹500 to ₹9,000.
But this is the first time that the corporation is facing such heat: The consumer forum has ordered stringent action against violations of permit conditions. All these years, it was let off with a fine and of late, this amount was reduced to ₹100.
“The very idea of collecting fines is to ensure that the lawbreakers do not repeat the offence. However, TNSTC Coimbatore, which earns lakhs every day, was least bothered about paying this minimal amount as fine,” said Kathirmathiyon.
“Other transport corporations have also looted in crores. But no stringent action has been taken against them,” he said.
TOI had earlier reported similar violations by MTC in Chennai. Nearly 110 MTC buses were operated along routes on which they were not supposed to ply, show government records.
This is violation of Rule Number 248 of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 and attracts a fine of ₹2,500 for the first time and ₹5,000 for subsequent violations. Data shows that the MTC in Chennai has been violating this rule since 2011by operating at least two trips in an inappropriate manner.
For instance, bus number M19A is permitted to operate only between T Nagar and Kelambakkam. But staff members operated it till Kancheepuram, showed government records.
MTC staff similarly operated more than 100 other buses from Vadapalani, Broadway, Adyar and Tambaram to Chengalpet, Sunguvarchatram, Mahendra City and other areas nearby.
They owe the transport department ₹190 crore in fines, activists showed. Transport department officials said buses were operated on these routes only during peak hours to meet the additional demand.
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