MTC suspends conductor for allegedly throwing away women’s free travel tickets

CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has placed a conductor attached to its Ambattur depot under suspension after he was allegedly caught on video tearing up women passengers' free travel tickets and throwing them out of a moving bus.

In a suspension order issued on June 30, MTC said conductor Govindan (employee No. C15429) was suspended pending disciplinary proceedings for alleged misconduct committed while on duty on June 29.

According to the order, the incident occurred when the conductor was working on bus route 7M/Ext/A from Ambattur Industrial Estate to Island Grounds. At around 4.50 am, he allegedly tore up free travel tickets issued to women passengers and threw them outside the bus. The act reportedly came to light after a video of the incident surfaced on social media.

Invoking the standing orders governing disciplinary action, MTC said the employee had been placed under suspension with immediate effect until further orders.

During the suspension period, the conductor will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per the standing orders. He has been directed to remain at the corporation's Chennai headquarters and cannot leave the headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority.

The order also directs him to surrender his staff travel pass immediately, failing which a penalty of Rs 10 per month will be levied for the period he retains the pass.