Two videos showing four women getting alighting the TNSTC bus after the conductor refused to issue tickets to them owing to free travel scheme went viral on social media here on Monday.
The incident took place in the Erode - Perundurai bus route number 12 when the women boarded the bus at Rayarpalayam, near Chithode, and demanded the conductor to issue tickets for them.
In a viral video, the women stated that they had been waiting at the bus stop for three hours and the TNSTC buses failed to stop as travel is free for women in government buses. They went on to claim that after the State government announced the free-travel scheme for women, most of the buses were not stopping at the designated bus stops. Hence, they did not want to travel at free of cost and demanded the conductor to issue tickets for them and accept the money.
As the conductor refused to accept the money, the women had an altercation with him. As the driver stopped the bus, they said they were made to alight midway through their journey.
In another video taken after they got down from the bus, the women could be seen saying that a State Minister had remarked about women passengers travelling for free, in poor taste. Hence, they justified their demand for issuing tickets by accepting the money. TNSTC officials said an inquiry over the incident was underway.
Recently, an elderly woman in Coimbatore refused to travel free in a government bus and had an argument with the conductor.
