Are you always running for the bus? Do not worry. Buses of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation will now wait for nearly 30 seconds to help more passengers get on board.
MTC has deployed over 100 trainee conductors at various bus stops across the city to keep a check on buses. Besides, they will also ensure that autorickshaws and share autorickshaws do not halt near bus stops.
“They have also been asked to check bunching of buses and report to the headquarters at the end of day,” said an MTC official.
As a first step, MTC has introduced the system on bus routes between Broadway and Kelambakkam. The routes will be rotated on a weekly basis. The trainee conductors will work in two shifts.
“Many passengers feel that if buses were to halt at the stops for a slightly longer period, they would not have to waste time waiting for the next bus. Our revenue will also increase if every bus runs to capacity,” said the official.
MTC, with a fleet strength of 3,500 buses, ferries over 50 lakh passengers across the city every day. It earns about Rs. 2.78 crore per day. “We have to increase revenues and the only way to do that is to improve patronage. We cannot allow share autorickshaws to eat into our revenue anymore,” said the official.
Commuters say that unless frequency of buses is improved, many of them will opt for share autorickshaws to reach their destinations faster.
“MTC should reduce bunching of buses and improve the quality of the vehicles. They should also limit the number of passengers in a vehicle,” says V. Raghunathan, a senior citizen.
