Spare tyres of new Vellore TNSTC buses used to make other old vehicles roadworthy

A few months ago Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) procured mofussil buses and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami flagged off around 2,000 buses at Chennai.

Vellore TNSTC sources revealed that the stepneys of the new buses were intact for nearly a month after they became operational but, “After a month the spare wheels in the new buses were removed and affixed to older buses to make them roadworthy.”

The TNSTC sources claimed that they were put to suffer without the stepneys in the buses. He said, “On Wednesday a new bus bound for Chennai suffered puncture and it did not have a stepney since the spare tyre was removed and used for another vehicle. As a result, passengers were forced to take another buses and the punctured bus had to wait till another wheel was brought from another bus in Vellore.”

Sources said, “If bad and potholed roads affect bus tyres, TNSTC deducts 5% from our salaries. They reduce the salary on the ground that the tyre that should have served a longer life has been made useless due to the carelessness of the driver thereby affecting the corporation’s earnings.”

While the Vellore TNSTC General Manger was not available for comment, top officials said, “Transport corporations across the country are running at a loss.”