NAMAKKAL: When private operators who own a few buses have modernised workshops, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), which has a fleet of 20,557 vehicles, has yet to do that, an employees federation has called out.
About two crore people benefit from the Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in getting last-mile connectivity. However, TNSTC is accused of not creating infrastructure in its workshops and depots to maintain the vehicles in shape.
Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation’s Staff Federation (TTSF) organisation secretary M Karthikeyan said, “Though there are enough depots and workshops, the infrastructure is extremely poor. It is mandatory to check wheel balance, oil level and the fitness of engine, gear, crown, brake, steering and other parts regularly, at least once in three months. As of now, if there is a breakdown or even during normal checks, we are able to come up with only temporary fix.”
In the buses operated for town services or up to 100 km trips, it is imperative to check the fitness of clutch and brake, he said adding that, however, if the buses malfunctioned, the management blamed drivers and issued them memos.
Karthikeyan said, “Most private companies have updated their workshops with advanced tools such as air guns, grease packing system, ramps, hydraulic jockey, lift, etc. But, we (TNSTC) are maintaining over 20,000 vehicles, but do all the works manually.”
CITU state president S Soundararajan urged the government to fill the vacancies. He said, “As per norms, the Corporation fixed a staff ratio of 1.25 for one bus (which translates to five staff for four buses) on the technical side. But, TNSTC maintains it at 0.50, which is too low. At least 20,000 technical staff should be appointed across the State. But, 50 per cent of those posts are lying vacant.”
A transport department official said, “We are struggling to meet even daily expenditure. In this situation, an immediate revamp is not possible. We will do it in the future if the State allocates funds.” We hope the government fixes all the errors at the earliest.”
A transport department official said, “At present, we are struggling to meet even daily expenditure such as fuel and the like. In this situation, an immediate revamp is not possible. We will do it in the future if the State government allocated funds for upgradation.”
The official said the government had planned to develop 16 MTC depots in Chennai with the help of Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board. Apart from this, there is a plan to set up retail outlets of petrol and diesel under the dealership model to raise additional revenue for the PSU, the official further said.