School students pelt stones at crowded bus they couldn’t board

Chennai: Tension prevailed near Madurantakam in Chengalpet district on Thursday morning after school students, who were unable to board a govt bus, pelted stones damaging its rear window. Bus route number 12, operated by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) (Villupuram Division), is the primary mode of transport for students commuting to schools in Madurantakam and nearby areas. The service operates only at specific times in the morning and evening.
On Thursday morning, the bus, which started from Orathi, reached Keezhathivakkam bus stop. A large number of students and members of the public from Orathi and surrounding villages were already on board. When the bus halted at Keezhathivakkam, several students waiting to travel to schools in Madurantakam attempted to board the vehicle.As the bus was already overcrowded, the driver closed the automatic doors and prepared to depart without taking additional passengers. Angered by this, some students picked up stones and hurled them at the rear of the bus, shattering the glass panes. Passengers inside the bus panicked.A few students reportedly attempted to enter the bus through the broken rear window, leading to chaos at the spot. The bus was immediately halted, and the police were informed.Orathi police initiated an inquiry. Residents and students told police that if they missed this particular bus, the next service would arrive only after two hours, making it impossible for them to reach school on time. They complained that despite the rise in number of passengers, only one or two buses continued to operate. They urged the authorities to introduce additional services to prevent such incidents in the future.