No penalty for MTC drivers who flout rule

The 3,300-odd MTC buses that crisscross the length and breadth of the city every day literally have a free run on roads as traffic police do not penalise the drivers for any violations.

For the past several years, not a single MTC bus driver has been booked for even simple offences such as jumping signals or parking buses in unauthorised spots or even brushing past private vehicles. This has come to light against the backdrop of two attacks against MTC drivers in the last three days for not allowing other vehicles to go past them. Queries with traffic enforcement inspectors on how many MTC drivers were booked for traffic offences in the recent past revealed that police had stopped taking any action against the bus crew. 

“Jumping or ignoring the red signal, stopping the bus in the middle of the road instead of the bus stop are common offences committed by MTC drivers. If a traffic police personnel books him, the driver will either park the bus in the middle of road to mark his protest or inform their union members. It would escalate into a major issue and we would get an earful from higher officials for not dealing with the MTC crew ‘properly’. To avoid embarrassment, we stopped registering traffic violation cases against MTC drivers,” said a traffic enforcement inspector in the city on condition of anonymity. Not too long ago, MTC crew was booked for traffic offences and their corporation was given the case details after which the penalty for the offence would be deducted from the errant crew’s salary. However, the practice no longer exists. 

In successive incidents of road rage against MTC drivers in the city, two drivers were brutally attacked by miscreants over the past three days. On Monday, SN Prabhu (35) from the Basin Bridge depot was driving route number 48C between Vallalar Nagar and CMBT when around 9.20 am, as the bus was proceeding through Otteri, a man parked his two-wheeler in front of the bus and attacked Prabhu with his helmet allegedly for not giving him way. Police said Prabhu was rushed to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for treatment. On Saturday evening, a gang of five men on two bikes attacked Suresh Kumar (driver of route 57F) at Sharma Nagar in Vyasarpadi as he allegedly did not give way to them. The accused are yet to be arrested. 

Against the backdrop of two attacks against MTC bus drivers in three days for not allowing other vehicles to pass them, it has emerged that not a single MTC driver has been booked in the past few years for offences such as jumping signals or parking buses in unauthorised spots. 

Commenting on traffic violations by MTC bus drivers, a city traffic police inspector said, “We usually inform senior MTC officials unofficially and they assure us of warning them. That’s the best we can do. If we treat them politely, they sometimes behave,” he said. 

Confirming that no MTC driver has been booked for traffic violations, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) A Arun said that he had so far not received any complaint of MTC buses violating traffic rules in the past several months. “Police will always book cases against them if they are involved in road accidents and the MTC will ensure they undergo corrective procedures as per their protocol,” Arun told DTNext. 

Anbu Abraham, Managing Director, MTC, said that the corporation has not received any complaint in connection with violation of traffic rules so far. “So far, no MTC driver has been penalised for any traffic irregularities. If it is brought to my notice, we will take action,” he said.