Day 2: Bus strike near total in Chennai

With the bus strike entering the second day, commuters continued to suffer in the city as the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) operated only 20 per cent of the buses.

Only 750 of the 3,790 buses were operated on Friday as workers did not turn up at several depots, including Anna Nagar, Vadapalani, Perambur, Madhavaram. Office goers struggled to reach their work places, while school and college students in the city and suburbs had to remain indoors.

Commenting on the strike, a senior MTC official said, “We are taking all possible measures to operate around 60 to 70 per cent MTC buses in the coming days.” The MTC also invited people having heavy duty driver’s licence and conductor licence to approach the office immediately.

Transport union leaders, however, did not change their stance and stressed that the strike would continue. In a joint press meet on Friday, union leaders from Labour Progressive Federation, CITU and others said there is no room for withdrawing the strike, adding, they would explain their stance in court on Monday. They reiterated the fact that they had remained patient for 10 years, but were ignored.

Chairing a high-level meeting, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami advised Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar to initiate disciplinary proceedings governing workers’ terms of employment, and take steps to reinstate the full-fleet operation.

MRTS services between Beach and Velachery would be fully cancelled between 9.35 am and 4pm on Saturday and Sunday to facilitate engineering works in Chennai Beach – Velachery section on January 6 and 7.