MTC operates special bus service for female students of St Louis College for the Deaf in Adyar

CHENNAI: In a noble initiative, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has launched a dedicated small bus service for female students of St Louis College for the Deaf in Adyar.

According to a report in The Hindu, the exclusive service that began on September 11 was kick-started following a request from the management of the hostel that accommodates students with speech-and-hearing-impairment.

The bus service, numbered S 78 has two scheduled trips everyday and it arrives at the hostel near Ashok Pillar at 7.15 am to drop the students at college and picks them up from the campus at 2.00 pm to drop them at the hostel. The main aim behind the arrangement was to eliminate the significant challenges the students faced while commuting.

Earlier, the students had relied on an infrequent bus route that required them to board from a stop on the busy 100-feet Road in Ashok Nagar, which was a tedious crossing for the students during peak hours as they were unable to hear any traffic noise. Apart from this, they were also forced to take multiple vehicles, which caused a lot of inconvenience for them.

However, the new service ensures a safe and reliable commute for the twenty female residents of the hostel. The college principal noted that while they also had a hostel for boys, it was the female students who struggled the most with commuting challenges.

An MTC official stated that the bus is strictly reserved for the differently-abled students and is not meant for any other passengers. After completing the pick up and drop for the students, the bus is redeployed on route S 26 to ply between Ashok Pillar and Valasaravakkam.

As part of a safety protocol, the MTC staff obtains a signed and stamped acknowledgment from the college management after each trip.