Chennai: As the strike by the transport workers unions entered its fourth day on Sunday, public transport in the city remained affected. However, with comparatively less number of commuters on the weekend and Southern Railway making special arrangements to accommodate extra passengers, the number of people stranded was lower as against the last three days that witnessed heavy crowds and commuter protests.
According to sources in the transport department, the government had roped in 4,578 drivers and 3,496 conductors on a temporary basis to accommodate the fleet of 22,000 buses and the transport minister on Sunday claimed that 80 per cent of buses are operating in the city. However, department insiders contradicted it saying only half of the buses were running in the city.
“Though the frequency was low, we could see a few buses on roads today. But, the claims on inexperienced drivers and the accidents have forced us to opt for alternative modes of transport”, said P.Balasubramanian, a resident of T.Nagar.
Another commuter, Shruthi Sekhar, expressed disappointment over the fare hike by app-based cab services and overcrowded trains hampering the weekend fun and restricting the public largely to their homes. “The government should have anticipated the issue and hired temporary workers earlier. They must reach a conclusion early, as office-goers cannot sit at homes on weekends.” Though private buses were operating in the city, commuters were flustered that the destinations differed. Also as they are not numbered and passengers had to ask the drivers about the route each time.
