The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Academy planned to gear up transport services

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Monday, Jan 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Academy planned to gear up transport services

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: The State Government plans to open a transport academy to tone up the quality of transport services, especially the driving skills, and to bring about technology innovation in fleet maintenance, Transport Minister K. N. Nehru said on Sunday.

Speaking at a function organised to inaugurate a State Transport Corporation depot at Thuvakudi near here, he said the academy would be set up, on an outlay of Rs.4.5 crore, at Chrompet in Chennai.

Pointing to the growing demand for skilled drivers and technicians, Mr. Nehru said the Government also planned to start more units of the Institute of Road Transport that would offer training in driving. The units which had been closed in some parts of the State would be re-opened.

Referring to Collector Ashish Vachhani’s appeal to bus drivers to exercise more vigil to avoid accidents, Mr. Nehru said the Government planned to recruit skilled drivers in consultation with technical bodies. The Transport Department ensured proper utilisation of resources, especially land.

Though the then Regional Engineering College allotted the site to the corporation for starting the depot at Thuvakudi, the work was not executed for long, he said.

The AIADMK Government had allotted the entrance of a couple of sites, given to the corporation, to Chennai-based private firms on a long-term lease. A petrol station at the entrance of one of the sites hindered its utilisation by the Transport Department.

Wage revision

As for the wage revision for transport corporation employees, Mr. Nehru said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi wanted the term of wage agreement fixed at three years, against five years fixed by the AIADMK Government. A revised pension policy was also being considered.

Minister for School Education Thangam Thennarasu, declared open the depot.

S. Murugan, Managing Director, TNSTC, Kumbakonam, said 50 buses would be operated from the depot.

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