COIMBATORE: Bus crew based at the TNSTC's Mettupalayam Branch-II are literally spending sleepless nights owing to water seeping through a damaged roof. An employee fed up with the inaction of the authorities in fixing the leak, shot a video showing rainwater seeping into the rest house and shared it on social media.
A driver at the Mettupalayam Branch-2 in Coimbatore, who did not wish to be named, told TNIE that around 200 conductors and drivers operating mofussil buses to Ooty, Mysuru, Erode, Madurai, and other places are working at the branch.
"As the buses are operated on long routes, drivers and conductors have to stay overnight at the branch rest house. Around 20 to 30 of them use this rest house which is an open space covered by metal sheets. As the roof has been damaged at several places, rainwater enters the rest house during heavy rains and stagnates inside, even around the cots where they sleep," he explained.
"Due to this, employees are unable to get even a few hours of sleep at night, which leaves them tired during their duty hours. If a driver does not get enough sleep, they cannot concentrate while driving and it could lead to accidents," he expressed his concern.
Another employee at the same branch told TNIE also that the condition of the toilets is so terrible that employees cannot use them.
"The employees had already complained about the poor condition of the toilets and the rest house, but instead of fixing the issues, they were threatened not to complain about it. The employees working here are stressed," he said.
When contacted, a top officer of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), Coimbatore region, denied the allegation and told TNIE that only a few portions of the roof were damaged and that rainwater entered due to heavy rain on Thursday night.
He added that repair is underway, and the rest house will also be renovated soon.