Normally, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation fetched higher earnings every year on occasions like Deepavali by plying “special” services. However, business during this year’s “cracker festival” was not roaring.
A reliable source in the TNSTC (Madurai division) said the earnings (fare collection) prior to Deepavali day (October 21) had dipped by at least Rs.50 lakh, when compared to the Deepavali eve of 2013.
The Madurai division comprises Madurai, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts where the corporation operated 2,310 buses.
Though there were many factors involved in this, source attributed the diminished collection to despatching of a large contingent of empty buses from different southern districts to Chennai.
The source said, “This year, the government had planned to operate the maximum number of services from Chennai to different destinations in Tamil Nadu prior to Deepavali day.” By doing so, other sections such as Madurai-Tirupur, Madurai-Coimbatore had suffered.
The fare collection on Deepavali eve last year was Rs.4.14 crore (in Madurai division), while it stood at Rs.3.64 crore this year.
Apart from this, the source pointed at the extensive online booking facility thrown open by omnibus operators as another reason.
The websites launched by omni bus operators was a success this season. Many commuters had chosen this option ignoring the fare charged by the operators.
Only those who were not keen on spending their festival bonus on bus fare, opted the TNSTC buses, while many preferred private services.
However, a senior TNSTC official in Chennai told The Hindu over phone that by pressing in 9,088 buses from Koyambedu bus stand to different destinations, a large number of public going on a long holiday travelled safely and without much anxiety.
In that way, it was a success for the transport corporation, he added.
