CHENNAI: The bus services in Chennai city are likely to suffer a setback with the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) banning overtime for workers during Sundays and holidays and restricting the second duty for conductors and drivers.
The MTC’s decision, is said to aim at curbing the malpractice in registering the overtime and allocating the second duty at depots which increases operational expenses of the Corporation.On the flip-side, the move is feared to result in cancellation of bus services as majority of bus depots in Chennai city are understaffed.
According to official sources, about 100 to 150 conductors and drivers are engaged in second duty to operate buses across MTC. Major depots including Saidapet, Anna Nagar, Broadway and Koyambedu are short-staffed and depend on the second duty workers during evening hours.
“If additional duty and overtime to conductors and drivers are restricted, bus services will have to be cancelled,” P Balakrishnan, president of State Transport Employees Union (CITU), MTC told Express.
Until a decade ago, second duty was given to workers occasionally. Of late, the delay in recruitment has shrunken the workers strength, as result, the number of workers engaged in second duty for operating buses, has gradually increased to more than 150. The additional work is mostly bagged by workers who are close to influential trade union leaders. “While about 40 to 50 workers retire every month, there has been no recruitment for workers in the last 29 months. The MTC’s intention is to reduce the bus services,” charged K Natarajan, Treasurer of Labour Progressive Federation (LPF).
MTC workers are given overtime incentive of Rs 60 to 80 per hour when their working hours exceeds eight hours a day, mostly due to road traffic. “During weekend days, most of the buses reach the depot well before the scheduled time. So, the depot managers are advised to cut overtime hours during Sundays and holidays, thereby Rs 20,000 additional expenses are saved per day,” said A Anbu Abraham, Managing Director, MTC.
Besides, the official added the depots have been instructed to reduce second duty and adhere to the schedule. “No bus services will be cut in any routes. We are only enforcing the time schedule of buses.”