No welfare schemes for transport unions

During the first phase, 2,000 BS-VI buses in the State and 500 electric buses in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai would be introduced, the Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced in the budget.

The project director of Traffic and Transportation Forum, V Rama Rao, said, “The rolling out of electric vehicles in the important cities is a welcome step that would get us closer to using clean energy. I wish the new buses become operational without any further delay. The government should consider introducing new schemes like Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or dedicated bus corridors to ease the congestion and improve the connectivity. They should also consider reducing the Metro Rail fares.”

Working President of the CITU, P Balakrishnan, said, “The announcement to introduce electric buses in the city is a good move when environmental pollution is a major concern. However, I am only concerned about the huge investment for it. The corporation should have delayed the move with an aim to recover from the tough financial situation. The other concern is that there is no announcement made for the welfare of employees in this budget. It is important to remember that employees who play a key role in the growth of anyorganisation.”

This apart, Rs 766 crore was allocated for providing free bus pass to students and Rs 250 crore as diesel compensation in the budget.