Chennai
A proposal to this effect was recently made at a government meeting on state transport corporations. The idea of starting Amma motels on national highways to provide bus passengers with quality food at nominal prices would be put up before the government, state civil supplies commissioner S Gopalakrishnan said at the Transport Advisory meeting on Wednesday.
The idea, mooted by Thanjavur district Rural Consumer Protection Movement President Swamimalai S Vimalnathan was due to the fact that presently government buses operated by SETC and TNSTC halt at roadside eateries which charge exorbitant rates for substandard fare. Vimalanathan said motels could be built on the lines of the Amma canteens which could provide food at competitive rates that passengers would be willingly to pay.
Though TNSTC did run a motel some years ago, it was closed due to various reasons, it was alleged, and the idea to start an improved version is on the table. The meeting was attended by 63 of the 89 members from various consumer organisations across the state in addition to the heads of various government transport corporations.
Calling on government transport corporations to conduct similar meetings without fail, he said issues which should be tackled at the local level were being added to the state meeting agenda as such measures were not being taken.
“The current meeting’s agenda running to 13 pages was due to this lapse” he added. Another sore point with almost all members was the transport corporations’ practice of naming a bus “express” and charging additional rates while having the same running time.
When transport corporation heads said this was adopted to ensure more revenue for cash strapped transport bodies, Gopalakrishnan advised them to desist from the practice, saying “Go according to what the Motor Vehicles Act and related rules state.”
Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) district secretary Kadhir Madhiyon suggested that a toll-free number be created to register complaints or grievances regarding transport corporations. He also stated that bus footboard should be in accordance to height prescribed in the Motor Vehicles Act.
Similarly, he suggested that ordinary buses be increased in metropolises where their numbers were reduced due to the introduction of low floor buses. Commissioner Gopalakrishnan said the issues would be attended to.
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