COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has taken steps to distribute uniforms to the drivers and conductors of its buses.
The move follows a news item titled ‘Uniform blues: TNSTC drivers, conductors have a bag of worries’ published in TNIE edition dated September 26.
Now, the bus drivers and conductors at two branches in Ukkadam - II and Mettupalayam - I in Coimbatore received two sets of blue uniforms each on October 30.
Official sources from TNSTC Coimbatore division, confirmed that they have started sending uniforms of blue and khaki colours to the drivers and conductors. “It is expected that the drivers and conductors will receive the brown colour uniforms next week. This apart, top officials have also decided to give uniform stitching charge of Rs 400 per set to each of the drivers and conductors,” they said.
A former conductor at Udumalpet branch, R Mohanraj, who has been demanding TNSTC for uniforms and stitching charges, told TNIE, “As per norms, TNSTC should give two sets of uniform material and stitching charge of Rs 400 per set to drivers and conductors every year. Only a few corporations follow this, that too, only once in two or three years. Uniforms and stitching charges were not being given properly to us for more than eight years,” he said. He also urged the state transport corporation to give bag and shoes to conductors.
Earlier, Transport Minister SS Sivashankar had assured TNIE that he would take steps to provide uniforms and other benefits to the employees.