Government bus drivers told not to halt at hotels in suburbs

TNN | Mar 30, 2019, 11.18 AM IST

CHENNAI: The State Express Transport Corporation has instructed drivers not to halt at eateries or hotels located on the Chennai-Villupuram and Villupuram-Ulundurpet highway stretches.

At present, more than 1,200 buses are operated by the corporation across Tamil Nadu. Of this, 450 are operated daily from Chennai to Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Nagercoil.

The SETC has received complaints from passengers stating many buses halt at eateries as they near Chennai for more than 15 minutes. They said that drivers and conductors are either given free meals or incentives to halt at these private food outlets. In a letter dated March 25, the SETC has stated that no permission has been granted to halt at these eateries. It only increases travel time and decreases passenger footfall.

The letter has instructed respective branch managers to take action against erring drivers.

Drivers, in response, have rejected allegations pertaining to incentives and claimed that they hardly get 15-20 minutes break during the 8-10 hour journeys to southern or western districts of Tamil Nadu and it is unfair to expect us to overcome fatigue without breaks.