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There was some good news due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu as the number of fatalities involving State Transport Undertakings (STUs) declined dramatically in the last two years. This was because the number of buses plying on the roads were very less due to the pandemic.
In 2019-2020 (pre-Covid year), the number of fatal accidents involving STU buses was 867 of which 969 fatalities were reported. In the following year (during Covid), the number of fatal accidents declined to 343 with 381 fatalities.
In 2021-2022 (up to July), there were 113 fatal accidents with 123 fatalities caused due to STU buses, according to Transport Department’s Policy Note for 2021-2022 tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Financial strain
Due to the pandemic, STU buses were halted for a period of eight days in 2019-2020; for 141 days in 2020-2021 and more than 40 days in 2021-2022. This led to a significant drop in the number of fatalities but put the STUs under a lot of financial strain.
The STUs reported increased loss of ₹7,284 crore in 2020-2021 as against ₹5,230 crore loss in the previous year. In the current fiscal (during Covid), the STUs have so far reported a loss of ₹2,731 crore, the Policy Note said.
Total number of STU buses in the State is 20,557 out of which 19,290 buses covering 10,535 routes are operated as scheduled services. They provide connectivity to the villages, which have a minimum population of 1,000.
The STU buses transported 1.7 crore passengers per day during 2019-2020. However, this number dropped to about 0.70 crore per day in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. It was at the same level in the first quarter of the current fiscal, the Policy Note said.
Transport Minister RS Rajakannappan in the Policy Note said that STUs are taking efforts to increase the bus ridership to reach the level of before the pandemic. Environment friendly BS-VI compliant diesel buses and electric buses being introduced in Tamil Nadu which will reduce pollution.
The Government recognises that an efficient, comfortable and affordable public transport system will increase the modal share of public transport systems with a positive environmental impact.
A cash crunch STUs need other sources for generating revenue. The department is confident to generate out of fare box revenue by modernisation of bus depots through commercial exploitation, utilise the available land parcels for creating fuel dispensing stations and installation of solar plants on premises to reduce electricity charges.
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