Date:12/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/12/stories/2008091260160300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Double-decker buses off roads

Vidya Venkat

MTC buses to display grievance phone number

CHENNAI: Double-decker buses plying on the A18 route have been taken off city roads as they had “grown very old” and “were difficult for drivers to manoeuvre through the heavy traffic,” Metropolitan Transport Corporation Managing Director M.Ramasubramanian said here on Thursday.

Not many people using A18 service seem to regret the disappearance of these tall wonders from the city roads. K.Subramanian, a senior citizen living in Tambaram, says that the double-decker buses are no joy ride for passengers. “It is difficult to alight from the upper floor of the bus as the stairs are narrow and also it is difficult to get a view of the road,” he said.

But T.Ravikumar of the All India Rail and Bus Passengers Association feels double-decker buses are better when compared to vestibule buses as they occupy lesser road space. “For the drivers of vestibule buses, negotiating turns is very difficult and it requires greater co-ordination from the conductors which is not the case with double decker buses,” he said. He suggested that double-decker buses could be used to promote tourism.

Grievance number

Mr.Ramasubramanian, who was addressing a press meet, detailed several recent initiatives of the Corporation.

“From September 15 onwards, stickers displaying the MTC grievance number 93833 37639 would be put up on the upper side of the bus windshield,” he said. This is to encourage user feedback about the bus services, he said.

He said the Corporation was receiving regular complaints from passengers at its grievance cell. These complaints ranged from buses not halting at the stand and drivers disobeying traffic rules.

“We are taking immediate steps against the employees against whom complaints are lodged,” he said. However, he refused to reveal exactly what action was taken against errant MTC workers.

Replacing old buses

Mr.Ramasubramanian said MTC would be replacing with 1,000 new buses the old buses in the city which are in a poor condition and are over eight years old.

Timetable

He also assured that a timetable of the air-conditioned buses and those enjoying high passenger patronage would soon be put up on MTC’s website for the benefit of users.

On a query on bus passes, he clarified that school children with free bus passes were permitted to travel in deluxe buses.

However, this facility was not extended to college students enjoying subsidised travel in buses.