Thousands of bus commuters were stranded following a flash strike by MTC employees on Thursday evening.
Only on Wednesday, taxi drivers struck work causing hardship to the travelling public in the city.
Even as the wage talks were on between trade unions and government officials at Chromepet, members of various unions foresaw that the talks would fail.
Hundreds of drivers and conductors of the MTC belonging to unions affiliated to opposition political parties, including the LPF, CITU and others, went on strike by abruptly stopping buses at the bus termini.
As they resorted to strike during evening peak hours, thousands of commuters were struck at bus stops. Tempers ran high as commuters and officials had heated arguments when vehicles were stopped in the termini.
Buses stopped operating from important termini including Avadi, Iyyappanthangal, K.K. Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Tambaram, Mandaveli, Porur, Poonamallee, and Vadapalani.
Agonising wait
R. Sumathi, a resident of Iyyappanthangal, said after waiting for hours she had to take an auto from her office in T. Nagar to reach home, as drivers and conductors at the T. Nagar terminus stopped several buses from moving out.
Union members said the buses were stopped in depots and termini.
A union leader said when drivers and conductors got wind of the fact that their demands were not being met, operation of vehicles at the 34 bus termini in the city was abruptly stopped.
Moving buses not halted
A senior MTC official said buses were halted by drivers and conductors of trade unions only after they reached the termini. Buses plying on roads were not stopped.
Commuters travelling long distance had a tough time at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus in Koyambedu.
Not many buses from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus were operated to destinations in the State. Even in the return direction no time schedule was followed, officials said.
Meanwhile, autorickshaw drivers in the city had a field day as the travelling public were mostly dependent on them.
