Travelling public in Vellakovil-Kangayam belt complain of curtailment of TNSTC services

The travelling public in Vellakovil-Kangayam belt have complained that the bus services of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has been downsized, against the backdrop of the apprehensions being raised by trade unions that about 3,000 unprofitable rural routes have been identified for stoppage of services, purportedly due to heavy losses.

The travelling public plan to make a representation to the authorities cautioning that the curtailment of services will severely impact the education of rural students and the livelihood of farmers.

Officials of TNSTC, when contacted, refuted the allegation.

The trade unions, on their part, have raised apprehensions over the consequences of Vetri Payanam Schemeof the new State Government that offers free bus travel for all women in all government buses across Tamil Nadu.

The trade unions are learnt to have urged the State government to be realistic in implementing the scheme of free bus travel, citing the mounting losses. They have sought to drive home the point that the monthly operating loss in the range of ₹600 crore will turn worse if the Vetri Payanam Scheme is put to operation.

The Vidyal Payanam Scheme of the former DMK government has already broken the bone of transport corporations, and the hike in diesel price from ₹84 per litre in 2021 to ₹103 in 2026 that caused an additional burden of ₹1,900 crore on transport corporations every year had made things worse.

The maintenance cost of 40% of buses was more than the revenue. The State government was not releasing subsidy on time, forcing the transport corporations to borrow money at high interest rates. This causes additional interest burden, the trade unions have pointed out.