MTC on its toes disinfecting, maintaining 3,000 buses

MTC also said top authorities and branch managers have also been working in shifts to monitor maintenance work at depots.CHENNAI: While a majority of Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses are lying in depots, the MTC technical crew is far from relaxed. The crew has been working hard disinfecting and carrying out maintenance work on the 3,100 government buses in depots.

The remaining 200 buses are in operation, transporting government employees and Greater Chennai Corporation workers between their workplaces and home. They run from areas like Guduvanchery, Teynampet, Thoraipakkam, Ennore, Tambaram, Poonamalle, Singaperumalkoil and Manali.


These 200 buses too are disinfected at the end of the day and are taken for operation the next morning only after obtaining a sanitation certificate from concerned authorities, K Ganesan, managing director of MTC, said in an official release. All drivers, conductors and crew members working on these buses are provided safety masks and hand sanitisers, he added. There are 33 MTC depots in Chennai and six to 10 mechanics are deployed on shifts to take care of disinfection and regular maintenance work.

From fixing engine oil troubles to replacing old tyres, the employees have been on their toes to ensure that public transport is safe and ready to run as soon as the lockdown is revoked. For instance, the batteries in these buses, when left idle for long, may run down leading to problems when the vehicle is pressed into service again, said Swami from SVS-AAP workers’ union.

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Another issue is leakage of fuel in tanks through weak points or engine oil drying leading to sparks when the vehicle is started after a gap. So, the technical crew has checked batteries in all 3,100 buses, resolved issues and driven buses around the depot to keep them operational, he added. In its statement, the MTC also said top authorities and branch managers have also been working in shifts to monitor maintenance work at depots. Their workspaces too are disinfected regularly.

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