DELAY IN SWD WORK CHOKES AVADI POONAMALLEE STRETCH

 

MTC extends time to buy monthly pass

 

Bus info

 

 

Two-way traffic on Pallavaram flyover likely

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Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

22.01.2022

Chennai: The state highways department and the traffic police are in talks to discuss the possibilities of introducing a two-way traffic system along the Pallavaram flyover.IKarunanithi, MLA for Pallavaram, said that an inter-departmental inspection would be held soon to ensure that the new traffic pattern does not cause any traffic congestion or accidents.

Ever since the 1. 5-kilometre-long flyover w as thrown open for the public in September 2020, residents in areas along Grand Southern Trunk (GST) have been demanding that twoway traffic be allowed on the stretch. Currently, motorists are allowed to travel only in one direction, from Tambaram towards Chennai International Airport. “It is wide enough to support twoway traffic. But for some unexplained re ason, the government has restricted it to unidirectional flyover. This has defeated the very purpose of constructing a flyover at this location,” said V Santhanam, a resident-a

ctivist from Chromepet.

During the evening peak hours, thousands of vehicles leave the city. But they

are forced to use the road below the flyover. As a result, the entire str etch becomes congested, and vehicles move at a snail’s pace. Traffic gets worse on Fridays when the weekly market is organised.

Therefore, it will be good if the government can allow at least cars, minivans and two-wheelers to use the flyover while leaving Chennai. This will reduce the burden on the road underneath the flyover, Santhanam said.

Karunanithi, the MLA for Pallavaram, said that he had already initiated talks among various state g overnment agencies. “Soon, it will be converted into a bi-directional flyover,” he said.

Besides this, efforts are on to widen the roads underneath the flyover and install another traffic signal so that vehicles to and fro Pammal and Kundrathur need not take a detour. This signal will make pedestrian movement also easie r, he said. The state highways department, which constructed the flyover at ₹82 crore, will remove encroachments along the stretch in order to widen it. “It will be converted into a three-lane road (11 metres wide) so that there are no traffic jams,” said Jayanthi, a divisional engineer.

Velachery bus terminus to be shifted near rly stn

Velachery bus terminus to be shifted near rly stn

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai: After a gap of nearly 10 years, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai has finally taken an initiative to shift the Velachery bus terminus to a new location near the local railway station.

At present, the terminus is functioning from a small piece of land near Vijayanagaram junction. But it is in shambles, and bus movement has become difficult ever since the government started constructing a flyover at this stretch in 2016. There is no space even for passengers to wait until their bus arrives.

Since then, residents have appealed to shift the terminus to a new location. The MTC tried to move it near Velachery railway station in 2018. But the attempt could not bear fruit as talks between various government agencies failed.

Against this backdrop,the transport corporation is trying to shift operations to another six-acre land near the station (abutting Velachery Bypass Road).

"The land has been allotted to us. We are taking steps to pay for the land in instalments," said A Anbu Abraham, managing director of MTC. The land alone might roughly cost ₹38 crore.

S Kumararaja, a resident-activist from Vela- chery, said that MTC said, "If this becomes a reality, not only MTC buses but mofussil services can also be operated from this location. Currently, government mofussil buses to Villupuram, Pudhucherry, and Tiruvannamalai are operated from Adyar. Instead of parking them along congested Indira Nagar roads, operations can be smoother from the proposed sitein Velachery".

This project, which was launched 10 years ago during the DMK regime, was left in the lurch. Only now, some steps are taken. However, MTC might not have adequate funds to construct a new bus stand or workshop, it can seek financial assistance from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), he opined.

The CMDA, the nodal planning agency, constructed two terminuses at Koyambedu and Kilambakkam.

 

Toll collection on ORR from today

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: User fee collection at toll plazas on the newly-constructed Chennai Outer Ring Road will begin on Monday.

Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC), which constructed the 60-km stretch between Vandalur and Minjur, recently notified the toll rates for each of the four plazas at Varadharajapuram, Kolappancheri (near Nazarathpet), Nemmelicheri and Chinnamullaivoyal

Accordingly, cars, jeeps or other fourwheelers should pay ₹17 t o ₹109 for a single trip from Monday. The rates will be subjected to revision.

FASTag scanners have been fixed at all toll lanes, and vehicles without FASTag stickers entering these lanes will be made to pay double the toll fee. Similarly, overloaded vehicles will pay ten times the toll fee as penalty.

 

Confusion over Pongal special buses next Sunday

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

10.01.2022

Chennai: With no clarity yet on whether there will be a lockdown next Sunday (January 16), those who had booked tickets in Pongal special buses for return journey to Chennai have started to either cancel or reschedule their trips.

The TNSTC had announced that over 2,300 buses would be operated next Sunday from different parts of the state to Chennai and began online ticket booking three weeks ago on government website http:// www. tnstc. in/ as well as through private sites like RedBus, PayTM, and Abhibus. Over 25 per cent of the seats were reserved by last Thursday, according to official data. It was against this background that the state government announced that January 9 (Sunday) will be a complete lockdown. No government bus was allowed to ferry passengers on Sunday.

"We have put the online ticket reservation on hold as none knows whether there will be a lockdown next Sunday," said a senior transport official, seeking anonymity. Those who had planned to return to Chennai next Sunday in private buses are also in a fix. “The government has to announce its decision soon, not wait till Thursday evening again,” said D Deepak, who cancelled his January 16 ticket from Nagercoil to Chennai in a private A/C sleeper bus. "We had booked tickets in advance to avoid crowd and last minute confusion. It, however, looks like our return trips are going to be chaotic," he added.

Meanwhile, the Southern Railway, which has not cancelled any of its express trains, is expected to operate all long-distance trains to Chennai as per schedule. In Pongal special trains, only tatkal tickets are available .

Bus conductors now free to kick out unruly passengers

Bus conductors now free to kick out unruly passengers

TN govt set to amend MV rules as women harassment cases increase

Published: 25th December 2021 06:39 AM 

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Due to multiple cases of women being harassed in a bus, the transport department has now empowered the drivers and conductors to alight passengers who sing or make inappropriate gestures towards women commuters.

On Thursday, the home transport department released a draft gazette notification amending the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 with respect to sections 28 & 38 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 on the responsibilities of the driver and conductor. The amendments will come into force within 30 days from the date of draft publication.

So far there was no provision to act against travellers who annoy other commuters. Now, motor vehicles provisions under the responsibilities of driver and conductors of stage carriage vehicles (bus) have been amended, enhancing their powers to regulate the behaviour of occupants. This will allow them to evict those who annoy other commuters. Ensuring the smooth operation of the bus is a responsibility of driver and conductor,” said a senior transport official.

The amendment also restricted the bus crew from questioning or touching women travellers. “The bus crew shall not make any physical contact or touch women commuters under the pretext of assisting them to board or deboard. The driver or conductor shall not behave in a way annoying women travellers,” the notification read. The regulations come in wake of a series of recent incidents and repeated complaints from women that they were often humiliated by the bus crew while travelling in ordinary buses where they are allowed to travel for free.

On December 7, an elderly woman in Kanniyakumari who sells fish was deboarded from a government bus as she smelled of fish. Similarly, a Narikurava family had also faced discrimination at the hands of the bus crew. On December 10, the driver and conductor of a TNSTC bus in Villupuram were arrested on the charges of attempting to molest a woman on the bus. The conductor and driver are now bound to comply with these regulations and any deviations will be perceived as dereliction of duty which could lead to departmental action, added the official.

Arumuga Nainar, General Secretary of Transport Employees Federation affiliated to the CITU, said “What is the necessity for amending the rules to punish the driver or conductor while there were regulatory guidelines in force? In ordinary buses, women commuters are reluctant to purchase price-less tickets which led to an altercation in a few places. In such cases, conductors issued a memo for causing loss to transport corporations.”

The transport employees association will study the amendments in detail and represent it to the government, added Nainar.

Chennai-Salem highway: NHAI seeks TN help

Chennai-Salem highway: NHAI seeks TN help

Wants To Finish Social Impact Study

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.12.2021

The National Highways Authority of India has sought to revive the stuck Chennai-Salem greenfield expressway by urging the state government to issue directions to district collectors of Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram to cooperate for completion of social impact assessment study and preparation of environment impact assessment report for the project.

The central agency, so far, has not received any written communication from the state government to drop the project, sources said.

The Supreme Court in December last had upheld the notification for acquisition of land for the ₹10,000 crore green corridor project and directed the NHAI to get environmental clearance for the project before carrying out land acquisition. “To get the environmental clearance, the Union environment ministry has suggested that studies have to be carried out on the field for which the state government’s cooperation is required. It is not forthcoming despite a communique to the top state government officials recently,” said an NHAI official.

The NHAI has to do a comprehensive socio-economic assessment with emphasis on the impact of ongoing land acquisition on the locals living around the proposed alignment. An assessment of impact on local biodiversity, wildlife corridors and its mitigation strategy, including baseline generation, wildlife movement, and identification of corridors along 277.3km corridor has been completed by the department of environmental science and engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad. Similarly, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, completed an ecosystem study.

In a related development, Union minister for road transport Nitin Gadkari had told Rajya Sabha last week that the project would be completed by 2025. “NHAI has appointed M/s KITCO (a Kerala government undertaking) to carry out the socio-economic study. After completion of this study, the environmental impact assessment report has to be prepared and submitted to the pollution control board to hold public hearings,” said the official. None of the collectors have responded yet.

Meanwhile, sources said chief minister M K Stalin in his memorandum presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June, had requested the Centre to drop the project.

State govt to operate over 16,000 buses to clear Pongal rush

State govt to operate over 16,000 buses to clear Pongal rush

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.12.2021

The Tamil Nadu transport department will be operating 16,768 buses from various locations in Chennai to clear extra passenger rush during Pongal week.

Similarly, around 6,468 other special buses will be operated along other districts in the state from January 11to 13.

As many as 11 ticket reservation counters will be opened at Koyambedu Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Tambaram MEPZ and Poonamallee Bus Stand.

Tickets can also be booked online on www.tnstc.in, RedBus, Paytm, makemytrip and BusIndia. Temporary bus stands have been set up at different locations in the city to avoid congestion and smooth operation of special buses. Traffic diversions, introduced five years ago, will be followed this year too. Buses, transporting passengers to Thanjavur and Kumbakonam via Vikravandi, Panruti will depart from the temporary bus stand setup at Tambaram.

Poonamallee bus stand will be the origin for buses bound to Hosur, Arcot, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore and Chidambaram buses (via Puducherry) will depart from KK Nagar bus stop.

Buses to AP will leave from Madhavaram. Only south-bound buses will depart from CMBT.

Responding on private omni charging more, TN transport minister RS Rajakannapan said that action will be taken against them.

Eleven ticket reservation counters will be opened at Koyambedu CMBT, Tambaram MEPZ and Poonamallee Bus Stand

Footboard travel: MTC bus crew resort to flash strike, traffic hit

Footboard travel: MTC bus crew resort to flash strike, traffic hit

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.12.2021

Traffic was affected for about one and a half hour at Otteri in north Chennai after crew of 12 MTC buses parked the vehicles across Strahan's Road in protest over being manhandled by a group of schoolstudents who were travelling on the footboard of an MTC bus.

The flash protest impacted vehicular movements on many other arterial roads connecting Purasawalkam with north Chennai.

Otteri police inspector Krishna Murthy detained two of the students and launched a search for those absconding.

A team of police went to to the spot and talked to the crew after which the protest was lifted. The incident happened around 3.30pm and the students reportedly boarded the bus (29-A plying between Anna Square and Perambur) at Doveton bus stop. Since they were travelling on the footboard and also tried to climb atop the bus, conductor Karthik warned them.

However, the students allegedly did not get in and instead made fun of the conductor. On Strahan's Road, Karthik shouted at the students again and in return, the students got down from the bus and hurled stones at the windshield.

The crew immediately stopped the bus and staged a protest, who were soon joined by the other members of MTC.

Of late, videos of students travelling footboard of MTC buses and EMU trains have gone viral on social media. In a recent incident in Gummidipoondi, a girl and a boy were summoned by police and and let off with an warning for footboard travel on an EMU train.

SEEKING ACTION: MTC bus crew of protest at Otteri on Saturday

Footboard travel of students: Who will take responsibility?

Footboard travel of students: Who will take responsibility?

B Veeranan, a student studying in a private matriculation school in Anna Nagar residing in Karuppayurani, said the students prefer to travel on footboard mainly to make the girls notice them.

Published: 14th December 2021 02:53 AM 

School students travelling on footboard at Vepery in Chennai | P Jawahar

By Jeyalakshmi Ramanujam

Express News Service

MADURAI: Sample this: There is enough room inside, but most of the youth prefer to put their lives at risk by hanging on to the railings of the footboard, clutching their lives in their hand. Their reason is simple: To impress girls.

B Veeranan, a student studying in a private matriculation school in Anna Nagar residing in Karuppayurani, said the students prefer to travel on footboard mainly to make the girls notice them.

“Usually the girls sitting inside the bus would turn back and notice the boys travelling on footpath. It gives us courage and confidence to speak to the girls when they come out of the bus,” he said.

G Arun, a college student who travels from Villapuram to Tallakulam daily said: “From class X onwards, I am a ‘footboard traveller’. I prefer to travel on the rear footboard only when the speed of the bus is too much. If the speed is higher, there is always a chance to fall down. We the footboard travellers have two benefits. One, we will be able to see the girls inside the bus and those waiting in each and every stop. On each step, six boys can travel. In total, 18 boys can stand on the footboard freely,” he said.

Chief Educational Officer R Swaminathan said he will send a circular to all the school heads to spread awareness among students about the dangers of footboard travel.

“I will urge the heads to monitor, depute teachers in each and every bus stop to curb this,” he said.

Speaking to TNIE, TNSTC CITU District Secretary, A Kanagasundar, said bus drivers or conductors alone cannot end the footboard travel.

“Though no driver or conductors received notice or fine in the district, penalty of Rs 100 was slapped on bus drivers and conductors in other districts. The penalty is adding to their stress,” he said.

Speaking to TNIE, Joint Transport Commissioner Pon Senthilnathan said, “A Whatsapp group will be created by each RTO with the school heads, TNSTC staff and traffic police personnel in their respective jurisdiction in a bid to put an end to this issue.”

B Veeranan, a student studying in a private matriculation school in Anna Nagar residing in Karuppayurani, said the students prefer to travel on footboard mainly to make the girls notice them.

Narikkuravar family row: Three TNSTC staff reinstated

Narikkuravar family row: Three TNSTC staff reinstated

A bus driver, conductor and a senior officer of Thiruvattar depot have earlier been suspended over allegedly forcing a Narikkuravar family get down a bus.

Published: 12th December 2021 05:43 AM 

By Express News Service

NAGERCOIL: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has revoked the order suspending three employees — a bus driver, conductor and a senior officer of Thiruvattar depot — over allegedly forcing a Narikkuravar family get down a bus.

Sources said soon after the Narikkuravar family comprising an elderly man, a woman and a child got on to the bus heading to Tirunelveli from Vadassery bus stand, the woman and the man started arguing over some issue. “The conductor forced the family to get down the bus after the irritated fellow passengers asked him to do so,” they said.

All the three employees have been asked to join duty on Sunday. A senior official of TNSTC said the corporation is giving counselling to drivers and conductors at bus stations and depots, after the incident in Colachel where a dry fish seller was forced to get down from a bus.

Narikurava family thrown out of bus, staff suspended

SWIFT ACTION

Narikurava family thrown out of bus, staff suspended

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kanyakumari:12.10.2021

Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has placed under suspension the driver and conductor of a government bus on charges of forcing a narikurava family to get down from it at Nagercoil on Thursday evening. This was after a video of a visually-impaired old man, a woman and a child being ejected out of the bus and their luggage bundles thrown out by the conductor was circulated on social media. The child was seen inconsolably crying in distress.

TNSTC Nagercoil division general manager held an inquiry and initiated action against both the employees. A statement from the manager said the bus (TN 74 N 1802) attached to Thiruvattar branch was running on route number 565 from Nagercoil to Tirunelveli with C Nelson as driver and C S Jayadas conductor. As the bus was leaving Vadasery bus stand, the family was forced to get down from the bus. Information technology minister T Mano Thangaraj tweeted that action has been taken against the driver and conductor after he took up the issue with top TNSTC officials.

This is the second such incident of TNSTC crew forcing people belonging to certain classes of the society to get down from buses this week in the district. Both the incidents were caught on video and shared on social media, resulting in suspension of the crew. In the previous incident, a woman selling fish was forced to get down from the bus. A senior TNSTC official also apologised to the woman in person.

Save your bus ticket next time, you may get back lost items

Save your bus ticket next time, you may get back lost items

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:  05.12.2021

Most BMTC passengers don’t keep their tickets with them after the journey; some even tear them while on board. But Whitefield resident Anjali S found out the benefits of retaining the ticket after she left a box of plants in the bus.

“I recently travelled by a Vayu Vajra bus from the airport. But I left the box of plants in the bus and realised only after I got down at Marathahalli. But I had the ticket with me which had the bus and depot numbers,” she said. “I connected with depot manager Wilson and sent him my ticket on WhatsApp. I got my box back the next morning.”

A senior BMTC official said if any passenger leaves anything in a bus and has the ticket, it will be easier for the authorities to track the vehicle and find the lost item.

This is not the first instance of BMTC passengers getting back items left behind. M Madhusudhan, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, said on November 22, his wife left her bag at the Esteem Mall bus stop. “BMTC recovered and returned jewellery and cash worth Rs 6.3 lakh. We were grateful to BMTC traffic controllers Prakash and Shamisab for this,” he said.

Woman thanks BMTC crew for safe ride at night

BMTC staff have been drawing praise from some passengers. Yogada Joshi, who travelled in a Vayu Vajra bus at night last month, recently took to LinkedIn to thank the bus crew for the safe journey.

“I was the only woman in the bus which had five other male passengers, the driver and conductor. Women usually feel unsafe in public transport but I took the bus because I thought it was much safer for odd-hour travel, thanks to rogue cabbie incidents reported every now and then along the KIA-city route… Throughout the journey, I sat happily. Finally, the bus arrived at my destination and here comes an experience showing care and concern: The conductor and driver peeped outside and saw that nobody was there yet to pick me up at midnight. They insisted upon waiting till my father came. I was touched. Appa arrived shortly and the bus left. I want to thank BMTC and Bengaluru city for making me feel happy and safe,” Yogada wrote.

Following this, BMTC honoured Parth Shetty, the bus conductor, and Ramachandra, the driver.

BMTC staff have been drawing praise from several passengers of late

A BMTC official said it will be easier for the authorities to track the vehicle and find the lost item if the passenger has bus ticket details

அரசு பஸ்சில், கோழிக்கும் அரை டிக்கெட் வாங்கி பயணித்த விவசாயி

அரசு பஸ்சில், கோழிக்கும் அரை டிக்கெட் வாங்கி பயணித்த விவசாயி

Updated : டிச 01, 2021 04:24 | Added : நவ 30, 2021 22:04





கொப்பால்: விவசாயி ஒருவர் அரசு பஸ்சில்,கோழிக்கும் அரை டிக்கெட் வாங்கி பயணித்தார்.

கொப்பாலை சேர்ந்தவர் ராமப்பா, 45. விவசாயியான இவர், கடந்த 28ல் ஹைதராபாத்தில் இருந்து கொப்பால் கங்காவதிக்கு அரசு பஸ்சில் கோழியுடன் பயணித்தார்.அப்போது டிரைவர், 'கோழிக்கும் அரை டிக்கெட் வாங்க வேண்டும்' என, கூறியுள்ளார்.அதன்படி, 463 ரூபாய் கொடுத்து கோழிக்கும் தனியாக டிக்கெட் பெற்று பயணித்தார்.

ஒரு கோழியின் விலையை 300 ரூபாய் முதல் 400 ரூபாய் மட்டுமே இருக்கும். ஆனால் 463 ரூபாய் கொடுத்து பயணித்துள்ள இந்த கோழி, சமூக வலைதளங்களிலும் பரவி பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது.

இது குறித்து கண்டக்டர் அனிஷ் கூறுகையில், “ஹைதராபாத்தில் இருந்து கொப்பாலுக்கு வந்த ஒருவர், கோழியுடன் பஸ்சில் ஏறினார். கோழிக்கும் டிக்கெட் வாங்க வேண்டும் என கூறியதால் அவர் வாங்கி பயணித்தார். இது வழக்கமாக உள்ளது தான்,” என்றார்.

'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல் 1,500 பஸ்கள் முடக்கம்

'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல் 1,500 பஸ்கள் முடக்கம்

Added : நவ 29, 2021 23:29

சென்னை : தமிழகத்தில் 'பேட்டரி' இல்லாமல், 1,500 பஸ்கள் நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

தமிழக அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழகங்கள் பெரும் நிதி நெருக்கடியில் சிக்கித் தவிக்கின்றன. இதனால், ஊழியர்கள், ஓய்வூதியர்களுக்கான பணப் பலன்களை வழங்குவதிலும், பஸ்களை பராமரிப்பிலும் பெரும் சிக்கல் நிலவுகிறது. குறிப்பாக, உதிரி பாகங்கள் வாங்க பணம் இல்லாததால், பழுதடைந்த பஸ்களில் இருந்து கழற்றி மாற்றும் நிலை உள்ளது.

ஆனால், காலாவதியான பேட்டரிகளை அதுபோல மாற்ற இயலவில்லை. ஒவ்வொரு பணிமனையிலும், ஒன்றிரண்டு பஸ்கள் என பேட்டரி இன்றி, தமிழகம் முழுதும் 1,500க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பஸ்கள் முடக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளன. இது போன்ற பிரச்னைகளை சரி செய்து, 100 சதவீத பஸ்களை இயக்க, பட்ஜெட்டில் நிதி ஒதுக்க வேண்டும் என, ஊழியர்கள் வலியுறுத்தி உள்ளனர்

Toll collection at 2 ECR plazas stops due to stir over wage cuts

Toll collection at 2 ECR plazas stops due to stir over wage cuts

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.11.2021

User fee collection came to a temporary halt at two toll plazas on East Coast Road (ECR) on Friday after contractual staff went on a flash protest against unannounced salary deductions.

Vehicles travelling along the ECR had a free ride at the toll plazas in Uthandi and Mahabalipuram as staff abstained from work for almost an hour.

The staff, roped in by an agency on behalf of Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC), are deployed to collect user fee and manage traffic along toll lanes for ₹10,000 as monthly salary. But they did not receive their entire salary amount. “Every month, ₹1,000-₹5,000 is deduced,” said one of the affected workers, requesting anonymity.

Authorities attributed these cuts to losses incurred by TNRDC in the toll collection process. As per guidelines, these staff can exempt ambulances, fire tenders, judges, convoys of the President/Prime Minister/governor/chief minister and MPs.

Apart from this, they can exempt only those with Local Resident Passes (LRPs). But every day, at least 5,000 vehicles, which don't belong to any of these categories, are allowed to cross the toll without any fee, said a TNRDC official.

The contractual staff at Uthandi said that almost 75% among them were cars of local politicians, who hold some position in their parties. "If we were to stop and argue with them, it would lead to unnecessary trouble. Vehicles behind keep honking continuously and eventually it will cause traffic congestion. So, we have no other choice but to allow them," he said.

The TNRDC official in response said that they have sorted this out with the concerned agency and toll collection resumed in the afternoon. Besides contract staff, some of the full-time employees have also complained against TNRDC for improper pay deductions.

FREE FOR ALL: Uthandi toll plaza on Friday

Despite govt order, disabled are forced to pay on buses

Despite govt order, disabled are forced to pay on buses

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.11.2021

It has been three months since the state government announced that differ ently abled people will be allowed to travel for free on ordinary town buses.

But some conductors continue to demand ticket fares from such passengers and those who escort them.

The violation has been frequent in Chengalpet, Thiruvallur, Pudukottai and Dharmapuri districts, said S Namburajan from Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC).

G Tamil Selvi, who was escorting Nagaraj (a differently abled person) to Harur in Dharmapuri, said that conductor demanded ₹10 fare from her even after insisting that the government had changed the travel norms in June.

"It was more than enough if they presented their disability ID cards (issued by the government). But the conductors for some reason harass the passengers by asking for photocopies of the same. Failing which, they collect ticket fares" she said. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus conductors in response said that their branch managers insist on proof that differentlyabled passengers actually travel and it actually helps in tallying ticket fare revenue at the end of the day.

“Besides this, there is no mention about this procedure in the handbooks given to us,” say conductors. Guidebooks, which explain the duties and limitations of conductors, have previously been used as evidence in court cases involving TNSTC staff.

Namburajan in his letter to chief minister MK Stalin has requested the state transport department to paste stickers on the bus windshields stating that travel is free for differently abled persons and those escorting them. A senior transport department official has agreed to look into this issue.

For a difference, the government scheme is properly implemented by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Chennai as there are no complaints against them even when other corporations face allegations.

As a result, there is a 20% increase in the number of differently abled passengers using MTC buses in Chennai. Every month, at least 51,000 disabled passengers are getting benefitted, according to official data.

But only one out of the 3,300 MTC buses have ramps to assist disabled passengers while boarding or exiting. The Madras high court has directed the corporation to ensure that all new buses procured are disabled-friendly. MTC had originally decided that only 10% of the buses procured at ₹694 crore will be disabled-friendly and another 25% will have lift mechanisms with ramps. But activists have rejected it.

தீபாவளி பண்டிகை தொடர் விடுமுறை முடிந்து ஊருக்கு திரும்பிய பொதுமக்களால் பேருந்துகளில் கூட்டம்

தீபாவளி பண்டிகை தொடர் விடுமுறை முடிந்து ஊருக்கு திரும்பிய பொதுமக்களால் பேருந்துகளில் கூட்டம்

தீபாவளி தொடர் விடுமுறை முடிந்த நிலையில், பொதுமக்கள் பலர் தங்கள் சொந்த ஊரில் இருந்து தாங்கள் பணிபுரியும் ஊர்களுக்கு புறப்பட்டனர். இதனால், சேலம் புதிய பேருந்து நிலையத்தில் நேற்று பயணிகள் கூட்டம் அலைமோதியது. படம்: எஸ்.குரு பிரசாத்

சேலம்/கிருஷ்ணகிரி

தீபாவளி தொடர் விடுமுறைக்குப் பின்னர் பொதுமக்கள் தாங்கள் பணிபுரியும் இடங்களுக்கு சொந்த ஊரில் இருந்து புறப்பட்டு செல்லத் தொடங்கினர். இதனால், நேற்று சேலம், கிருஷ்ணகிரி பேருந்து நிலையங்களில் பயணிகள் கூட்டம் அதிகமாக இருந்தது.

வெளியூர்களில் பணிபுரிவோர், கல்லூரி மாணவ, மாணவிகள் தீபாவளிப் பண்டிகை கொண்டாட்டத்துக்காக சொந்த ஊர் சென்றவர்கள் விடுமுறை முடிந்த பின்னர் நேற்று தாங்கள் பணிபுரியும் ஊர்களுக்கு புறப்பட்டனர்.

இதனால், சேலம் புதிய பேருந்து நிலையத்தில் நேற்று காலை முதலே பயணிகள் வருகை படிப்படியாக அதிகரித்தது. இதனால், பேருந்து நிலைய வளாகத்தில் பயணிகள் கூட்டம் அலைமோதியது.

பேருந்து நிலையத்தில் கூட்ட நெரிசலை தடுக்க நுழைவு வாயில்கள், நடைமேடைகள் உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில் போலீஸார் ஆங்காங்கே கண்காணிப்புப் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டனர். மேலும், பேருந்து நிலையத்துக்குள் கார், இருசக்கர வாகனம், ஆட்டோ போன்றவை வராமல் தடுத்தனர்.

சுங்கச்சாவடியில் காத்திருப்பு

கர்நாடக மாநிலம் பெங்களூரு மற்றும் ஓசூர் பகுதிகளில் உள்ள தொழிற்சாலைகளில், தமிழகத்தின் பல்வேறு மாவட்டங்களிலிருந்து ஆயிரக்கணக்கான தொழிலாளர்கள் பணிபுரிந்து வருகின்றனர்.

இவர்கள் தீபாவளி தொடர் விடுமுறை முடிந்து நேற்றுகிருஷ்ணகிரி வழியாகவே தாங்கள் பணிபுரியும் பகுதிகளுக்கு செல்லத் தொடங்கினர். இதனால், கிருஷ்ணகிரி பேருந்துகளில் பயணிகளின் கூட்டம் அலைமோதியது.

சில ஊர்களுக்கு போதிய பேருந்துகள் இல்லாததால் பயணிகள் பலர் கூட்ட நெரிசலில் பயணம் செய்ததோடு, பேருந்து படிக்கட்டுகளில் தொங்கியபடியும் சென்றனர். குறிப்பாக ஓசூர், பெங்களூருக்கு பேருந்துகள் போதிய அளவில் இல்லாததால் பயணிகள் வெகுநேரம் காத்திருந்தனர்.

இதை அறிந்த அரசு போக்குவரத்துக் கழக அதிகாரிகள் எந்த ஊர்களுக்கு அதிக பயணிகள் கூட்டம் இருந்ததோ அந்த ஊர்களுக்கு மாற்றுப் பேருந்துகளை இயக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தனர்.

இதேபோல, கிருஷ்ணகிரி-பெங்களூர் தேசிய நெடுஞ்சாலையில் ஆட்சியர் அலுவலகம் அருகேயுள்ள சுங்கச்சாவடியை கடந்த செல்ல நீண்ட வரிசையில் வாகனங்கள் காத்திருக்கும் நிலை ஏற்பட்டது.

இதனால், அப்பகுதியில் வாகன நெரிசல் ஏற்பட்டது.