JAM-PACKED: Employees as well activists say the staff strength is inadequate to meet the demands of MTC services

CHENNAI: Come summer and absenteeism goes up at the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. According to MTC officials this is one of the main reasons for the drop in the number of scheduled operations.

"People have gone on leave as it is summer. The situation was worse during election time as many went for campaigning," explains a senior official.

Of the 2,554 scheduled operations, the MTC is able to run only 2,300 services daily.

"We are also short of 625 drivers and 400 conductors. A proposal to recruit more drivers and conductors is pending," says the official.

However, employees and activists say there is need for more buses too.

M. Chandran, general secretary of Metro Transport Association, says: "The previous government reduced the employee ratio per bus from 7.5 to 6.5. If a conductor or driver works for six days, there is nobody to fill the gap when he takes his weekly off."

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