Opposition parties have accused the Tamil Nadu Government Transport Corporation of continuing to use outdated buses instead of purchasing new buses. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami and BAMA president Anbumani Ramadoss have been saying that due to this, accidents are happening and passengers are suffering a lot.
In response to these complaints, Transport Minister S.S. Sivashankar issued a statement.
It said, “During the 2011-21 period of AIADMK rule, an average of 1,449 buses per year (total 14,489 buses) were introduced. But during the previous DMK regime (2006-11) 3,001 new buses were introduced per year (total 15,005 buses).
Due to lack of purchase of new buses during the corona pandemic, the number of end-of-life buses has increased. Adequate instructions were obtained from the court last year in a case related to the purchase of 2,213 diesel and 500 electric buses by the German Development Bank KFW, according to which the purchase of the buses is in cage and contract stage.
While the AIADMK government has allocated Rs.23,494.74 crores for the transport corporations in 10 years, the current DMK government has allocated Rs.29,502.70 crores in 4 years. Also, funds have been allocated for purchase of new buses and construction of cages.
As a result, 7,682 new buses and 1,000 electric buses operating on contract basis have been taken up, making a total of 8,682 new buses and 1,500 buses for renovation. So far 791 new buses and 858 refurbished buses have been put to public use. More than 300 new buses are coming into public use every month so that all buses will be operational by the end of 2024-25.
473.61 crore trips were taken by women, 28.62 lakh trips by transgenders and 3.78 crore trips by differently abled persons and their assistants under the free travel scheme for women.
The number of deaths due to bus accidents has dropped from 1,201 a year under the previous government to 911 now. It has been said that the transport corporation workers are given subsidized rates at par with Tamil Nadu government employees.
