Chennai: Over 50 lakh people commuting in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses have a common grouse every monsoon – reduced fleet due to low attendance of the crew and sudden breakdowns owing to ill maintenance.
According to sources from MTC, due to incessant rains on Monday, as many as 233 buses of 3,200 stayed off roads on Tuesday due to the shortage of staff. Fearing breakdowns and accidents in waterlogged areas, most of them stay indoors in the monsoon, it is learnt.
Apart from this, a total of six breakdowns was witnessed in the city. “While oil leakage and oil block led to breakdowns at Chromepet and Tambaram, there was a starting trouble at Koyambedu, fanbelt ripped off near Thousand lights, tire burst at Medavakkam and sudden breakdown at Ayanavaram,” said an official.
The public, mainly office-goers were put into hardship as the frequency of the buses was very low. Commuters complained that the buses that usually come within a time gap of five minutes took more than 30 minutes on Tuesday.
It is to be noted that during the heavy rains last week, at least 700 buses stayed off roads and more than 30 breakdowns were witnessed.
Apart from this, loose seats, torn seat covers, rickety railings, rusty interior, hanging doors and broken glass planes are an added bonus to your trip on an MTC bus.
Perumbakkam operations begin
The newly inaugurated Perumbakkam bus depot will start operating buses from Wednesday. Sources said the depot has a fleet of 58 buses, which are pooled in from Adyar, Thiruvanmiyur, Mandaiveli and Kannagi Nagar.
This would be the 34th bus depot in Chennai city and the buses, for now, would ply to Saidapet, T Nagar, Guindy, Broadway and Kelambakkam.
