Chennai: Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (MTC) has failed to stock quality tarpaulin sheets essential to prevent leaking in the buses.
According to sources from MTC, the administrators have not only stocked tarpaulins of poor quality, but also failed to gauge the number of buses with leaking roofs.
As per the statistics given to Deccan Chronicle by MTC before monsoon, the department said it has identified a total of only 395 buses with leaking roofs, which have been repaired by September 21. Ironically, more than 400 buses in the city, irrespective of installment of new tarpaulins or not, are currently running in the city with rainwater leaking from the roof and spurring from window panels and also making frequent trips to the sheds due to breakdowns, sources said.
Moreover, the tarpaulins that had to be of 2mm thickness were not more than 1.1mm along with the polythene. After the issue was flagged off, one Karthikeyan, assistant manager was suspended for not “overlooking the installation” properly.
A senior official from MTC also justified the act by saying the major issue lies with the poor installation and not quality. However, a gate pass dated November 9, which DC obtained shows that the department itself had returned 112 tarpaulins citing ‘poor quality’.
MTC sources had also added that the department has already returned 300 tarpaulins to the company in the beginning of November. Thalapathy V, president, Netaji Transport Workers Union, who had filed a complaint against this, said, “Over Rs 40 lakh spent by the department for the tarpaulins despite of bankruptcy, has gone in vain. The department must inspect invoice, purchase order and gate passes at all the depots.”
He further added that no action has been taken yet on the guilty. In another related development, an official on condition of anonymity also said that the average number of breakdown of buses had gone up to seven. “The operating ratio of MTC fleet for most of the days in heavy rains was only 76.49 per cent as against the usual 98 per cent attendance.”
