BAMA President Anbumani Ramadoss said that the Tamil Nadu government should solve the problem between the police and the transport corporations.
In a statement issued in this regard, he said, “The events taking place across Tamil Nadu are disturbing after the conductor refused to allow a policeman to travel on a government bus from Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district to Thoothukudi without taking a ticket. The indifference shown on the part of the Tamil Nadu government for two years in the matter of free travel by policemen should not turn into a conflict between the police and the state transport corporations. When the conductor asked Arumukapandi, who boarded the government bus from Nagercoil to Tuticorin at Nanguneri, to take the ticket, the conductor refused to take the ticket.
He has explained that those who are on guard duty can travel in government buses for free. A passenger recorded the altercation on video and published it causing a sensation. Following this, the State Transport Corporation explained, “Guards cannot travel in government buses for free. It said that one can travel only if there is a permission warrant. Following this announcement by the State Transport Corporation, the traffic police has started taking action against the government buses across Tamil Nadu including the capital Chennai. Penalties are being imposed on government buses for various reasons including traveling on one-way lanes, lack of uniforms, stopping beyond stops.
Over 200+ government buses have been fined in the last two days alone. It is being seen as an act of revenge as such action is being taken after the transport corporation’s announcement of free travel for the constables while such action has never been taken against government buses. If this trend continues, there is a danger that it will turn into a clash between the police and state transport corporations. If such a conflict occurs it will not only cause serious harm to the public but may also affect law & order in Tamil Nadu. Before that this problem should be solved.
But the Tamil Nadu government is acting very carelessly without any concern about this. It is reprehensible that the Tamil Nadu government has not made any effort to solve the problem between the police and the transport corporations. Whether they are police officers or transport corporation employees, they are the ones who stand in the field and work for the people. Neither party has fixed working hours. Both parties may be required to work longer than normal working hours when required. Many times both parties are forced to work without even basic facilities like shelter and drinking water facilities. Both constables and transport corporation employees have relatively long working hours and very low wages. The government should not create conflict with such people.
This problem can be easily solved by allowing policemen to travel free of cost in government buses. If asked further, the negligence of the police and the transport department who did not implement it more than two years after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stal’s announcement that policemen can travel in government buses for free is the reason for all the confusion that is happening in Tamil Nadu. Speaking in response, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced, “From police to inspectors, they will be given a modern identity card to travel free of charge in government buses within the districts where they are working.”
After 3 years, the Chief Minister’s notification order has not been issued. In November 2021, after the Chief Minister’s announcement, Deputy Secretary of the Transport Department, Udayabhaskar, who wrote to the then Director General of Police Shailendra Babu, asked him to send a list of policemen who are eligible to travel in government buses for free. It is not known what progress has been made in this matter since then. If the police has sent the list, will the government calculate the loss caused to the government transport corporations and pay that amount due to giving them free travel permit? Will the police pay?
It is decided and decreed. Constables will be issued identity cards based on that. However, none of these steps have been taken so far. Due to the indifference of the government officials, the two departments working in the field have come into conflict. This should be avoided. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin should immediately intervene in this matter and issue an order for police to travel free of charge in government buses. Thereby, conflict should be avoided between the policemen who are working in the field for the people and the employees of the State Transport Corporation, and harmony should be established,” he said.
