TIRUPPUR: Passengers travelling from Tiruppur to smaller towns, such as Dharapuram and Oddanchatram, have raised complaints against TNSTC bus crew for allegedly not letting them board long-distance buses -- bound to Madurai and southern districts -- despite the bus routes having stops at their destinations.
On Friday night, an argument over the same issue broke out between the crew of a Madurai-bound bus and a couple at the Kovilvazhi Bus Stand -- recently inaugurated for southern district-bound buses to bypass the Tiruppur town traffic. According to sources, the couple -- Suresh Kumar and his wife Valarmathi, residents of Oddanchatram -- while returning home after visiting a private hospital in Coimbatore, boarded a Madurai-bound TNSTC bus, which goes via Oddanchatram around 11.20 pm on Friday. However, the conductor allegedly forced the couple to alight the vehicle, despite seats being available, and instead told them to board a bus bound for Dindigul.
After the couple was told that the next bus to Dindigul would depart only at 1 am on Saturday, they returned to the Madurai-bound bus. Even after the couple explained their circumstances, the conductor allegedly did not allow them to board, resulting in an argument between the bus crew and the couple, added sources. Upon information, Tiruppur city police rushed to the spot, held talks with the crew, and ensured that the couple boarded the same bus.
N Sakthivel, a social activist from Nallur, who witnessed the incident at the Kovilvazhi Bus Stand, said, "Bus drivers and conductors should act with humanity. Will they do the same to their family members at midnight? The same issue prevails not only in buses bound for the southern districts, but also in the routes linking Tiruppur to Coimbatore and Erode."
A senior TNSTC official in Tiruppur said, "Passengers should not be handled in this manner. We have already instructed drivers and conductors to drop off passengers at their requested bus stops along the routes. Further instructions regarding the matter will be issued. Affected passengers can immediately file a complaint with the checking inspectors at the respective bus stands, and bus services will be arranged for them."
