Commuters in certain parts of the city are finding it tough to commute by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation Chennai (MTC) buses beyond the evening rush hour.
The issue of non-availability of buses is reported more on the outskirts of the city. Normally, people complained of inadequate bus services on weekends when the MTC operated reduced services. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the occupancy had come down leading to reduction of bus services in certain routes.
Commuters of Vengaivasal, Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam and Sithalapakkam, rue the absence of adequate services beween Koaymbedu and Ottiambakkam on Route No. 76B beyond 7 p.m. They want the MTC to increase the services on this route at least to the pre-COVID-19 level.
Office-goers living in far-flung places such as Avadi, Pattabhiram, Nanganallur and Keelkattalai faced hardships because of inadequate bus services. They want the MTC to ensure dependable bus services after the evening rush hour.
A senior official of the Transport Department, denying any shortage of bus services at night, said the number of bus services had been increased from 60 to 75. He said 75 buses were operated on 22 routes crisscrossing several areas of the city and covering about 150 km by each bus operated at night.
The senior official said in the coming weeks, night services from Kovalam to Broadway on Route no. 109 will be launched from where there have been requests.
