Chennai: Metropolitan Transport Corporation patronage has almost reached pre-covid and buses overflowing with passengers during rush hour, but there are no expansion plans on the foundation.
According to official data, less than 15 lakh passengers traveled by MTC buses every day when full service continued in July after locking.
This figure has increased since the government announced that women can travel for free by the government city bus.
Now educational institutions have been reopened, daily footsteps have crossed a 28-lakh sign.
Given that more students choose offline classes at their respective educational institutions, MTC bus demand is set to increase further.
But the question is whether the government has a plan to meet this growth needs.
During rush hour, almost all buses are full, and many can be seen risking their lives by traveling with clothes.
“Chennai definitely needs at least 5,400 buses to handle loading of peak hours,” said a senior MTC official, asking anonymity, referring to existing government norms.
Union housing and the urban ministry have suggested metropolitan cities to have 60 buses for each lakh population.
Chennai currently has at least 90 Lakh residents.
But the state transportation department has not floated tenders to get more diesel or electric buses for the city as announced during the budget session in August.
Regular bus commuter complains that MTC has divert most of the buses along the route to request within the city limits and reduce operations in the suburbs.
T K Kuriakose, a Puzhal citizen, said people were made to wait more than an hour now to get a bus to Red Hills.
In response, MTC officials said route rationalization occurred at regular intervals after studying requests on certain routes.