CHENNAI: The cancellation of scheduled trips due to shortage of crew to operate buses has resulted in the State Transport Undertakings (STUs) in Tamil Nadu reporting a total revenue loss of Rs 495.27 crore from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
A report of the office of Comptroller and Auditor General tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, however, revealed that hundreds of bus drivers and conductors, eligible to operate buses, were not being utilised and instead diverted for other work. The audit was conducted in four STUs across the state.
The report said the official numbers furnished by these four STUs regarding the crew engaged in activities other than the operation of buses were significantly lower than the numbers assessed by the CAG.
The CAG found that a total of 4,341 drivers and conductors in MTC and TNSTC divisions of Villupuram, Madurai and Kumbakonam were not engaged in bus operations. However, these STUs reported that only 2,269 crew members were not used.
For instance, TNSTC Kumbakonam claimed 129 drivers and 45 conductors were “unfit” and hence not utilised as of March 31, 2022, whereas the audit identified 640 drivers and 647 conductors as underutilised during the period.
The CAG report highlighted that the non-utilisation went against an order issued by the TN government in October 2018, which prohibited the use of drivers and conductors for non-essential services. The continuation of the practice not only resulted in revenue loss but also impacted the reliability of bus services.
In their replies to the CAG, the STUs attributed the non-utilisation to old age, fatigue and medical unfitness of the crew. However, the CAG termed the explanation as unjustifiable, noting that many workers deemed unfit were, in fact, medically capable of operating buses.
The audit observed that more than 3% of the available crew on the roster were diverted to other tasks such as shunting buses for diesel filling within depots, operating light vehicles, cash counting, and administrative duties instead of fleet operation.