Assurance from TM - Latest situation regarding operating 500 electric buses in Chennai?
Posted on: 11/Mar/2023 9:35:16 AM
Electric buses operating in Chennai!! Sounds incredible right!!
Now, the transport minister Mr. SS. Sivashankar has assured the trade unions that there would not be privatisation of the transport corporation. He added that a tender has been floated to appoint a consultant to study the operation of electric buses in Chennai through gross cost contract. Recently, he had a meeting with the trade union representatives of the transport corporation based on the instruction from the chief minister.
He added that the workers need not worry regarding the privatisation of the transport corporation. It is worth mentioning that the trade unions including LPF, CITU & AITUC etc have opposed MTC floating bids to appoint transaction advisors to operate 500 electric buses in Chennai on the GCC basis. This would be under the World Bank funded Chennai City Partnership Project.
Even after the operation of 500 electric buses in Chennai through the GCC, free travel for women in ordinary buses would still be there. This was also assured by the transport minister.
The cancellation of a proposal to operate the private buses through the GCC model was sought by the LPF president and Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Shanmugham. It is noteworthy that CITU demanded the scrapping of GOs 321 and 328 that prevents the filling up of vacancies and recruitment of employees through a new GO. The CITU did not want the Tamil Nadu govt to proceed with the plans to operate electric buses in Chennai as it might cause more losses for the transport corporation.
