CHENNAI: With the Transport department resuming the services of 702 air-conditioned buses from October 1, the bus transportation in the State is set to return to the pre-pandemic levels. As many as 19,290 buses will resume their services fully for the first time after their halt from March 23 last year.
Although the AC bus service had resumed on February 17 this year, at the end of the first wave of Covid-19, the mofussil and long distance services were not on the roads completely. With the State imposing a night lockdown in the wake of the second wave, the AC bus service was completely cancelled on May 17.
The per day collection of government buses, which stood at `1.6 crore till 2019-2020, plunged to `70 lakh during the pandemic.
“All the required measures have been taken to enhance the patronage”, said a senior official.
Of the 702 AC buses, 302 are economic AC services operated between districts by six divisions of the TNSTC. As many as 340 are semi-sleeper and sleeper buses run by the SETC in long-distance routes. About 60 are city buses, including the 48 operated by MTC in Chennai city limits.
Transport Minister R S Raja Kannappan, in a press statement on Friday, said: “Buses will commute with a 50 per cent seating capacity. Officials have been instructed to comply with the health department’s protocols.”
Due to fall in Covid-19 cases at the end of the second wave, buses had resumed their day services in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts on June 21. Following this, the inter-district and night services resumed on June 27, and the inter-state buses started their operation on August 23.