TIRUNELVELI: Over 20 Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus drivers have been served a maximum of four memos in just two weeks owing to the damage borne by the bus tyres while plying on the under-construction road between Tirunelveli and Papanasam. “We have to now pay five per cent cost of each tyre, totalling up to `2,000,” the drivers said.
Speaking to TNIE, TNSTC Workers Federation’s General Secretary R Radhakrishnan said the incidence of tyre burst was high in Tirunelveli district, and instead of changing the tyres or seeking roads without potholes, the corporation keeps sending memos to the drivers. “The Tirunelveli - Papanasam State Highway road extension works are underway and maximum tyres get damaged on this stretch,” he added.
Under the Tirunelveli division comprising Nagercoil zone, there are 30 depots, 1,661 buses are operated with a total of 10,615 workers. The staff have been facing several issues, including lack of good-condition bus parts, especially tyres. A driver requesting anonymity said the point-to-point and air-conditioned buses are also affected by tyre bursts. “Penalising drivers for bad roads is eating into our earnings,” he said.
Regarding the request for better tyres, senior officials in the TNSTC said they will look into the issue. “The norm is to issue a memo to the driver if the tyre gets punctured due to stones. We will soon address the drivers’ concern,” they added.