The Hindu : Front Page : Intra-State services, TNSTC merger likely

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Intra-State services, TNSTC merger likely

S. Sundar

VIRUDHUNAGAR: The Transport Minister, K.N. Nehru, has proposed to merge all the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses offering intra-State services with the respective divisional Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations (TNSTC) to strengthen their finances.

“The proposal that has been accepted by all unions has been sent for the Chief Minister’s approval,” he said. Mr. Nehru, who was here to flag off new bus services on Saturday, told ‘The Hindu’ that the idea that was tried in select SETC buses had worked. “We introduced it in 34 SETC buses last month. The collection that used to be just Rs. 6,000 in a bus operated in a particular route went up to Rs. 13,000,” he said.

Stating that SETC had limited infrastructure, in terms of depots and manpower, he said not much efforts went into augmenting collection. “The crew did not bother to enter wayside bus stands to load passengers. If these 600 buses were diverted to the local TNSTCs the collection would definitely go up as there is adequate manpower (with TNSTC) to monitor the operation of buses,” he said.

Another advantage of the merger would be that the TNSTC could mobilise funds from financial institutions to buy new buses, he said. The economics of SETC, at present, could not allow it to find institutions to sanction funds because of its poor collections, he added.

Out of the 900 buses operated by the SETC, 600 were being operated within the State. Remaining were plying to Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

Earlier, speaking at the function, Mr. Nehru said that the Transport Department had planned to divide the Madurai TNSTC into two regional corporations – Madurai and Tirunelveli.

The CMwould soon introduce smart cards that were tamper-proof instead of the conventional licence and registration certificates. It would be introduced in Chennai, Cuddalore and Sivaganga districts, he added.

A new office of Deputy Transport Commissioner would be set up in Virudhunagar. Similarly, new Regional Transport Offices would come up in Virudhunagar, Vadipatti and Oddanchatram to cater to the increasing vehicle population in the State that stood second in the country. Ministers, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu, participated in the function.

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