Tamil Nadu is facing a significant shortage of drivers for high-use vehicles such as buses, lorries and cars, with the gap estimated at 30% to 40%. In response, bus and truck owners are preparing to recruit drivers from northeastern states.
Transport demand has been rising across major cities including Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Tamil Nadu has about 3.80 crore registered vehicles, of which two-wheelers account for around 3.20 crore. In the rental car and van segment alone, more than 10 lakh light commercial rental vehicles are in operation.
While over 19.12 lakh drivers are registered with the state transport department, industry representatives say the number is still inadequate. They note that, apart from government bus drivers, many passenger-vehicle drivers are not in full-time employment, worsening availability during weekends and festival seasons.
Office-bearers of the Chennai Tourist Vehicle Owners Association said the state has not yet implemented the Centre’s earlier order removing the need for a special “badge” licence to operate vehicles carrying up to 12 passengers. They argued that adopting this exemption in Tamil Nadu could help ease the shortage.
The Tamil Nadu Private Bus Owners Federation said around 4,700 private buses run across the state but struggle to find drivers, as fewer people are interested in the profession and many shift to other jobs. The federation urged the state to create dedicated recognition and roll out measures such as free skill training, and said it has begun initial work to recruit trained drivers from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and other northeastern states to operate buses in Tamil Nadu.
