MTC seeks Govt. compensation for damage to buses

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JULY 12. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has written to the Government seeking compensation for damage suffered by its buses in stone-throwing incidents following the arrest of the former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi.

Official sources said that between June 30, when the arrest took place, and July 2, when the DMK and its allied parties called for a bandh, around 450 buses were damaged. ``The maximum damage was caused to the windscreens and the glass panes on the sides of the bus'', an MTC official said, adding there was an attempt to set fire to three buses.

While the total loss to buses on the first day was Rs. 9 lakhs, the loss on Sunday was estimated at Rs. 1 lakh and on the day of the bandh it was Rs. 3 lakhs, officials said.

Sources said the total loss of revenue during the three days due to non-operation of buses was Rs. 1.75 crores.

MTC officials said that when the Corporation was finding it difficult to make both ends meet, the work of miscreants in times of crisis only added to the burden, ultimately making the public suffer. The replacement of glasses costing between Rs. 600 and Rs. 1,300 was made and several of the buses were new.

Officials said that since the stone-throwing incidents were not organised but happened at random, the damage was less when compared to earlier instances when hooligans gathered with the single purpose of damaging and burning buses.

They lamented that whether the fight involved politicians, traders or students, the first target in Chennai was city buses, while in places such as Ooty or Villupuram it was trees, which were axed and placed across the road.

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Section  : Southern States
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