MTC schedule on ‘crew’s control’

Sources said while the MTC has been operating over 3,600 vehicles to different parts of the city and its suburbs from various localities, time keepers at the depots are not instructing the crew to take the vehicles at the marked time, but the drivers and conductors fix scheduling on their own and operate the vehicles. Though the officials were aware of the crew’s self-laid time-table, they ignore the issue and set their focus only on the revenue part. 

“Unlike in the past, we are at a loss to understand timings of buses. Worse still, sometimes I need to wait for over an hour to get a bus and when they arrive, they come in bunches on a specified route,” says T Venkat, a regular commuter from Valasaravakkam. During holidays and Sundays, barring a few routes, it would be difficult to find MTC services past 9.30 pm, he added.  K Baalu, a resident of Chintadripet, said “Earlier, they used to maintain timings, now everything is erratic.” 

He also demanded a system under which the officials should put boards consisting all the details at bus shelters. When asked about this issue, a branch manager, on condition of anonymity, said, “we are doing what our officials instruct us to do. Since some buses are converted into ordinary and express services on a daily basis, we find it difficult to operate the services as per the timings.”

When contacted, a senior official, Metropolitan Transport Corporation said, “We are continuously instructing branch managers to ensure that punctuality is maintained. We will issue stern warnings and suspend the crew indulging in such practices.”  The official also added that they would put up boards containing details such as arrival and the same would also be exhibited at all depots.