CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu omni bus operators on Tuesday urged to restore south-bound bus operations to Koyambedu, completely digitalise transport department services, reduce road tax for omni buses among a series of demands placed before the new State government.
Addressing reporters, All Omni Bus Owners Association president Anbalagan said the association’s primary demand was the restoration of bus operations from Koyambedu for passengers travelling to southern districts.
“The shift to Kilambakkam has increased inconvenience for passengers from central and north Chennai. Around 70-80% of passengers still preferred boarding at Koyambedu,” he stated. “While Kilambakkam was useful for passengers from areas such as Tambaram, Guduvanchery and ECR, Chennai still requires a major central bus terminus with strong public transport connectivity.”
The association’s second major demand was the complete digitisation of transport department services. It alleged that several services in Tamil Nadu still required physical visits to Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), unlike neighbouring States such as Andhra Pradesh.
“Only fitness certificate inspections and certain permit verifications require physical presence. Everything else, vehicle transfer, permit renewal and ownership transfer should be made fully online,” he added, citing corruption. “We also need faster registration timelines and same-day updating of transport department records.”
Citing Odisha as an example, Anbalagan averred that Tamil Nadu should adopt toll-based digital monitoring systems that automatically identified violations instead of physically stopping vehicles on roads.
Another key demand raised by the association was reduction of road tax for omni buses. They claimed Tamil Nadu levied among the highest taxes in the region, with quarterly taxes of Rs 3,000 for seaters and Rs 4,000 for sleeper buses. “By comparison, Kerala charges Rs 900 and Rs 1,500 respectively. It’s Rs 2,500 and Rs3,000 in Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh levies Rs 2,500 for both categories,” he pointed out.
The association additionally raised concerns regarding Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs), alleging that Tamil Nadu allowed procurement only from four approved vendors, pushing device prices to around Rs 14,000 compared to nearly Rs 7,000 in neighbouring States.