Calls to restore MTC’s daily passes get louder

Calls to restore MTC’s daily passes get louder

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 22.07.2021 

Three years after the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had stopped issuing daily concessional passes, regular bus users have called upon the government to restore the passes. In 2017-18, citing ‘security reasons’, the state transport department had stopped distributing these passes worth ₹50 each, promising that it would be restored within months. However, till date there is no official word on resuming distribution of these passes. Back then, MTC's footfall was close to 35 lakh per day, and nearly onefourth travelled using these daily and monthly passes. But some of the commuters started taking photocopies of these passes and started selling duplicate copies in black. "We had planned to fix this issue by adding QR codes or barcode on these passes with photos of the passengers on it. But works were delayed due to the pandemic," said an MTC official, requesting anonymity.

Rama Rao from Traffic and Transportation Forum (TTF), Chennai in his letter to the government last week, reiterated the need to restore it soon as it would be of help to people who travel to four of five different locations in MTC buses for work.

Not all can afford to pay ₹15-₹20 per trip. Besides, it will also help passengers travelling to different religious places within city limit, he said. Even Chennai suburban residents demand immediate restoration of the scheme now. "Local train services are restricted to nonpeak hours. So, people residing in areas like Avadi, Tambaram, Kancheepuram and beyond depend largely on MTC buses for buying things, school/college admission and hospital visits," said T Sadagopan, a Pattabiram-based activist.

Also, with these passes there was no need to wait for conductors, who expect passengers to tender exact fare. Reintroducing these Rs 50 passes, the MTC can boost its patronage and revenue. They can even increase the rate by Rs 5 to 10 to meet their present expenses, he said. MTC is currently facing poor patronage, as less than 10 lakh people travel in 2,700 buses per day.