The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : MTC unable to increase fleet strength despite demand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 08, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

MTC unable to increase fleet strength despite demand

Special Correspondent

Depleted fleet as well as escalating commuter traffic cited as reasons

CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is unable to increase its fleet strength

despite an increasing demand for its services.

Unable to replace old buses

In fact, it is unable to replace old buses, say department officials. Consequently, commuters put up with crowded buses and reduction in services.

Official sources say about 25-50 buses are replaced periodically, against the need to replace at least 250 old buses.

The MTC has a fleet strength of 2,770. About 2,400 vehicles are on the road everyday.

A senior official says a public transport bus in a city like Chennai should not be used for more than eight years and 250-280 ageing buses should be replaced annually.

At present, the average age of any MTC bus is seven-plus. A "substantial number" among them is ten and "we have even buses running continuously for 12 years."

Multilateral agencies

not willing

Multilateral agencies are not prepared to provide credit to the MTC as it has little chance of getting State guarantee for loans.

Also, the Corporation is unable to decide on fare change, notes the official.

So demand for new routes are met by juggling around vehicles. This reduces the strength on the old routes, leading to a public outcry.

A massive increase in population in western, central and north western residential areas is putting pressure on the transport system, but here is where the services are getting reduced, if one goes by the number of commuter complaints.

Activists and union members say when buses on many routes are running full for most of the hours, the reason for reported losses needs to be looked at.

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