3-stage stoppages to make trichy-Thanjavur trips smooth

In a move to streamline bus services and avoid altercations on stoppages between passengers and the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) crew on Thanjavur-bound buses, the corporation has introduced a category system for buses on the route from the Central bus stand. Categorised into three stages, each stage will have its own specific stoppages to avoid confusion among passengers regarding buses running on their routes. Besides ensuring a friendly journey, TNSTC believes that such a system with revised stages would help longdistance buses reach their destinations faster as they will be skipping rural and remote stoppages.
According to TNSTC sources, as many as 450 buses are operated to various destinations including Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Velankanni via Thanjavur from Trichy every day. Since the stoppages between Trichy and Thanjavur are the busiest ones in Trichy division, the conductors havefrequent arguments with passengers on stoppages. People travelling to rural areas board express fleets and pick up arguments by asking the conductor to stop the bus in remote and rural stoppages.
"If we had to stop at all rural stops, we will certainly be late to reach the destination. This delay with the revised ticket fares may push passengers to opt for private fleets," said, a conductor with TNSTC.


To avoid such confusions and to regulate the Thanjavur-bound fleets, TNSTC has classified the fleets into A, B, and C. While the buses falling under category A will have 14 stoppages, category B will have 13 stoppages, and category C buses connecting longdistance destinations will have eight stoppages between Trichy and Thanjavur. The system was introduced to organise fleets and halting points after a conducting a study.
"The new system will help passengers identify the buses that halt at rural stoppages. People can also raise queries with TNSTC workers at the bus stands about the category of buses they need to board," a senior official with TNSTC said.
Official sources said that Thanjavur-bound buses were selected for the category system as they were the busiest among the routes in Trichy division.
The same pattern could be implemented on the Dindigul-bound buses as well as the crew members on this route had also complained of regular arguments with passengers regarding stoppages.

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