Reporter’s Diary: Fare revision makes MTC buses take the ‘share auto’ way

After the revision of bus fares in the state, MTC bus drivers — who are known for either stopping their buses away from prescribed bus stops or going without stopping despite passengers waving their hands — have changed their minds. Now, they seem to follow the model of share autos halting at will to pick up passengers.
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Chennai

Recently, when this scribe travelled in an MTC deluxe bus from Broadway to Avadi, he noticed the driver was stopping at all the MTC bus shelters and even in crowded areas. The conductor stood on the footboard inviting passengers, before returning to his seat. 

Since this reporter knew that Deluxe buses were not supposed to stop at all the MTC bus stops, he went to the conductor and asked why the bus was halting so frequently to which the conductor said, “See, almost all the seats here are vacant and in such a condition, we are asked to collect more passengers even after our working hours. So, I asked driver to stop in all the stops to pick up as much as passengers possible.” Then he smiled and added, “We are operating like share autos these days,” before rushing to the footboard to pick up a couple of passengers who were waving from the road. For the commuters, however, this is a happy change. Now, that’s what you can call customer appeasement, MTC style.

— R Lenin, Chennai

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