Madurai: State transport corporations in Tamil Nadu are planning to temporarily suspend government bus services that generate low revenue on days when passenger movement is typically low. Officials say the move is aimed at improving overall revenue while reducing diesel expenditure.
Proposals to reduce services are being sought from all regions. As a first step, the Villupuram region has already cut 136 suburban bus services across Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.
The suspensions are being implemented on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays—days identified as having lower passenger demand—so that fuel costs can be brought down significantly.
Transport corporations have also been instructed to operate special buses as needed during local festivals, holidays and auspicious days, when passenger crowds are expected to rise.
CITU trade union representatives have raised concerns that rural students and daily wage commuters depend heavily on government buses, questioning whether service cuts would blur the difference between public service and private operators. Officials, however, said only select routes with high service density and those without private competition would be chosen, and only low-revenue trips would be stopped, calling it a temporary efficiency measure that would not affect the public.
