MTC gave 29.7 lakh trips a miss for want of drivers in 2022-23

CHENNAI: Amid passenger complaints of inadequate services, Metropolitan Transport Corporation data shows 29.70 lakh bus trip losses on city routes in 2022-23, thanks to driver shortage.

According to the MTC sources, the transport corporation recorded 38.84 lakh trip loss in 2022-23, including 29.70 lakh trip loss for want of crew and 9.12 lakh trip loss for other reasons.

The trip loss rose steeply over the years, along with dwindling driver numbers. Leaving out the data for 2021-22 and 2020-21, considering the COVID-19 lockdown and restriction in the operation of bus services, the data of pre-COVID 2019-20 shows total loss of trips at 19.22 lakh and trip loss for want of crew at 13.80 lakh. Between 2022-23 and 2020-19, the trip loss for want of crew rose by 115 per cent.

MTC sources said to operate daily scheduled services of 3,233 buses, 8,487 drivers are required. But only 7,885 drivers were available as of August 31 this year, i.e. a shortage of 602 drivers. “Due to the shortage, MTC was not able to operate full scheduled services and on average 500 services had to be dropped daily. It was not able to get the extra duty done by the existing permanent drivers to meet the shortfall,” the sources said. The MTC sources noted they were planning to extend the engagement of the retired drivers till December this year to meet the drivers’ shortage.

CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation general secretary K Arumugha Nainar attributed the scenario to the non-recruitment of drivers in the recent past. “It’s resulted in inconvenience to the general public in terms of inadequate services,” he said, adding the corporation should recruit drivers at the earliest to provide better service.