CHENNAI: The per-day patronage of eight state transport corporations during October stood at 1.85 crore against 1.67 crore last year, according to Transport Secretary Phanindra Reddy. A total of 1,666 more buses will be introduced in the next few months, and patronage is likely to increase further. The fleet capacity of the eight transport undertakings is approximately 19,500.
Official sources said patronage for government buses, particularly mofussil services, has been increasing for the past few months due to multiple factors. An official from TNSTC (Villupuram) explained, “Increased awareness of the use of ordinary services by women and others who are permitted to travel without paying ticket fare, rationalisation of routes, thereby increasing services in high-demand sections, and induction of temporary staff in the operation of buses are some reasons.”
According to official data, about 40 lakh women avail themselves of free travel in ordinary buses of MTC and six other transport corporations a day. An official from SETC said, “The demand for buses in tourist and pilgrimage destinations has gone up substantially during extended holidays. As a result, advance reservations through online platforms have also increased.”
Until early January 2018, government buses carried about 2.1 crore passengers a day. The demand for buses gradually reduced due to a shortage of staff, service cuts, and other reasons. During the pandemic, patronage fell to 75 lakh a day and then rose to 1.2 crore in 2022. “The depots have been instructed to run maximum number of services to carry more passengers. With more new buses set to hit the roads, the patronage will further increase,” an official said.