Public heave sigh of relief as MTC buses back on road

The transport unions announced their strike on Monday, after the government failed to fulfil their seven- point charter of demands. Subsequently, a large percentage of buses remained off the roads leading to lots of hardships to passengers. The strike intensified on Tuesday and the government operated around 600 private buses. However, the strike by transport unions came to an end on Tuesday night. “I am a regular commuter and the lack of MTC buses forced me to miss work and remain indoors for the last two days. I was relieved to find that the strike was called off on Tuesday night. I was able to go to work today,” said M Kumar, a painter from Thondaiyarpet. The government should ensure that the public transport system is not affected at any cost, as most people prefer to travel in buses and trains, he added. 

When contacted, V Krishnamurthy, Managing Director, MTC, said that they operated night service buses from Tuesday. “Since Wednesday morning, all MTC buses, including small buses, were operated to all destinations as usual. The crew from all transport unions reached their depots and resumed their duties,” he said and added that no untoward incidents were reported across the city. 

Similarly, passengers at Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) were relieved of their worries, as TNSTC and SETC buses operated properly. “I reached Chennai on May 14 for a function, but my relatives advised me to stay until the strike was over and I had to stay back for two additional days. Now, I am leaving for my native place,” said K Santhosh, a professor from Pattukottai, Thanjavur district.