MTC collected Rs 35.31L as fines from 26,972 ticketless passengers till June this year
According to the MTC sources, from April to June quarter this year, the corporation's checking squad conducted 1.51 lakh checks and caught 12,523 ticketless travellers.
CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation has collected Rs 35.31 lakh as fine for ticketless travel from 26,972 passengers in the first six months of this year.
According to the MTC sources, from April to June quarter this year, the corporation's checking squad conducted 1.51 lakh checks and caught 12,523 ticketless travellers.
The squad collected fines amounting to Rs 16.09 lakh.
The collection of the penalty has increased when compared to the same period during the previous year, sources said, adding that in April-June 2022, it collected Rs 12.56 lakh as fines from 10,485 ticketless travellers.
However, the sources noted that the collection of fines has come down by Rs 3.12 lakh from Rs 19.22 lakh in January to March 2023 when it caught 14,449 ticketless travellers.
MTC sources attributed the decrease in the collection of fines to the lesser number of traffic supervisory personnel.
"The number of checking squads in the April to June quarter of 2023 is 99, whereas in the previous quarters from January to March 2023, the number of checking squads was 114. The number of checking squads decreased due to the retirement of traffic supervisory personnel in the last quarter, " sources added.
Travelling without a valid ticket or pass on the MTC bus is an offence under the Motor Vehicles Act as it causes financial losses to the corporation. The ticketless traveller would be fined Rs 500, the official said.
