Nearly 100 services on 60 routes will be introduced by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) Limited to prevent footboard travel in buses.
Most of these will cater to peak-hour traffic.
This includes three additional services in the following areas — Manali to Broadway, Vallalar Nagar to Pudur, MKB Nagar to Anna Square and Thiruvanmiyur to Tambaram.
A total of 17 persons were killed this year and 51 injured due to footboard travelling. In the wake of the recent death of four students in a similar accident, there was a wide-spread demand for additional buses during peak hours.
A source from the transport department said a technical team of the MTC had conducted a field study on instructions from the government.
“The 60 routes were based on this analysis of the traffic and crowd patterns during peak hours. This step is expected to reduce the rush to a considerable extent. Further measures will also be taken,” he said.
However, experts and commuters say that Chennai’s road width may not be able to handle so many buses, especially considering the timings of MTC services. As of now, all the buses begin running at 5.30 a.m. and services end at 9.30 p.m. “Due to this, the bunching of buses in the same route occurs,” said S. Prakasam, a commuter.
A transport department source added that the buses should be let out in smaller groups at short intervals based on the rush in various routes. Also, there should be more shifts for drivers and conductors instead of the current two. “This way, the stress on the driver will be lesser and the night-time services will also increase,” said a source.
With a view to help commuters visit temples and entertainment spots on New Year’s eve, the MTC has announced a 100 additional buses from 2 p.m. on December 31 to 11 p.m. on January 1.
