CUDDALORE: The branch manager and controller of the Kattumannar Koil depot run by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) were suspended recently on charges of dereliction of duty after ordinary town bus tickets were issued to commuters on mofussil routes.
While the top official of the Villupuram Transport Corporation said the incident was an "accident", it was alleged that the depot officials asked the conductors to issue ordinary bus tickets to mofussil bus travellers to give an impression that these ordinary buses were operational.
The incident took place between July 14 and 15. The electronic ticketing machines have been withdrawn in most of the buses and paper tickets are being given to travellers, said official sources.
The depot had allegedly cut the services of ordinary buses operating from Kattumanarkoil depot to various parts of Cuddalore and Villupuram in the last six months. The decision to stop these buses was understood to have been triggered by staff shortage, increasing fuel expenses and a few other administrative reasons.
Following the complaints of cancellation of ordinary services, the transport department had earlier directed the corporations to restore the services.
As pressure mounted on officials to run ordinary services, the depot manager and controller allegedly asked conductors to use paper tickets meant for ordinary buses on mofussil routes to create a false impression that these services have been resumed.
Accordingly, commuters were given ordinary tickets on mofussil buses operated on Kattumannar Koil-Virudhachalam and Kattumannar Koil-Kumbakonam routes for a few days.
After a section of the travellers raised objections, the TNSTC swung into action and suspended two officials.
S Joseph Diaz, managing director of TNSTC (Villupuram), said it was an inadvertent error on the part of the branch manager and controller.
"The officials were placed under suspension on moral grounds for their failure in ensuring distribution of appropriate ticket books to conductors. Necessary instructions have been issued to ensure the operation of ordinary buses. The SOP to be followed while collecting ticket book has also been suggested," he added
Withe six regional headquarters at Villupuram, Cuddalore, Vellore, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur and Thiruvannamalai, the Villupuram corporation operates 1,033 ordinary services for travellers in 10 districts in northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
As per official data, 18.45 crore women, transpersons and PwDs in the Villupuram division availed the free service between July 12 last year and June 29. The share of women travellers alone was 64.29%.