While the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses are gearing up to start inter-district operations from September 7, senior officials said people can book their tickets on www.TNSTC.in from Friday afternoon.
“Initially we will be operating only 524 buses out of the fleet strength of 1,082. Except to other States, the buses will ferry passengers to all other districts within Tamil Nadu. We will not be operating the AC buses,” said a senior SETC official.
He said out of the 43 seats, only 26 will be allowed to be occupied. “If there is a demand, then we will operate more buses. We expect the patronage to increase gradually,” added the official. He said that passengers can also get the tickets from the conductor. :But it would be better to book them online to reduce contact. They have to just show the ticket on their phone, he said.
P. Paneerselvam, president, Labour Progressive Federation, SETC, said that there were around 4,300 drivers, conductors and driver/conductors. “All of them should be provided with masks, gloves, sanitisers and face shields. Besides all passengers should sanitise their hands before entering the bus,” he said.
The SETC drivers and conductors have also demanded that the restrooms in the depots be kept clean.
Clean restrooms
He said that the restrooms in the 22 depots across the state should be maintained well. "The transport corporation should ensure that the rest rooms are clean and personal distancing is enforced in all of them. The food provided in the canteen should also be of good quality," he added.
Meanwhile, a SETC driver said that the toilets in the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Bus Stand should also be cleaned. "It is usually cramped and being a closed structure, passengers can get infected easily if someone sneezes inside. A supervisor should be entrusted with the task of cleaning and ensuring a minimum number of people use the facility at a time," he said.
A senior SETC official said that a meeting with municipalities on improving facilities in the bus termini will be held on Saturday.
