Chennai, June 21(BPNS)

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation(MTC) resumed operations of its bus services in Chennai on Monday after the government announced relaxations during the ongoing Covid -19.

The state government has allowed the transport of non-airconditioned buses with 50% occupancy in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpettu, and Tiruvallur districts from Monday onwards.

The state transport minister R.S.Rajakannappan after inspecting the central bus depot on Pallavan Salai along with senior officials of the transport department told reporters, “MTC has started operating 50% of its total of 1792 buses while the Villupuram State Transport Corporation would be operating 750 buses in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpetu districts where the MTC is not allowed to operate its services.”

The minister said that the MTC Is operating 925 ordinary buses which transport women and transgenders free of cost, 807 deluxe buses are also in service, 30 express and 30 small buses are in service under the MTC.

Senior officials with the MTC are of the opinion that even though 1792 buses are being operated in all routes of Chennai, the bus shelters are not at all crowded and that there is very little occupancy in these buses.

A senior MTC official  while speaking to BPNS said, “During lockdown period, MTC has vaccinated more than 85% of its crew and this helped when the buses are now under service.”