SETC resumes Trichy-Chennai service after 5 months, 80% seats booked

Trichy: There is an overwhelming response from people to the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) decision to resume its long-distance bus services after five months on Monday, as around 80% of the seats have been booked in the Trichy-Chennai sector. This trend is likely to continue in the coming days as private bus operators have planned to stay away from roads till October first week demanding road tax waiver.
With 99 fleets, SETC Trichy has been predominantly connecting Chennai and Bengaluru cities, while a few buses had also been running to Tirupati and Pamba.Since March 2020, the buses were not operated due to Covid-19 restrictions. As the state government permitted the SETC to resume bus services on Monday, the management started ticket reservation on Sunday. Within a few hours, people booked almost 80% of the seats in the Trichy-Chennai route. SETC sources said that they have planned to operate buses from 6 am. Sleeper bus service and airconditioned buses will not to be operated for now. Similarly, other cities except Chennai will not be connected. “The demand for Trichy-Chennai service was exceptionally good, peak hour services were filled by Sunday itself. Passengers will be allowed to occupy only 60% of the seats, we will operate buses till 11 pm,” a senior official with SETC said. A total of 13 buses will be operated initially, in case of overcrowding additional buses will be operated to Chennai, SETC said.
Maintaining the Covid-19 guidelines for buses as that of the intra-district routes, passengers will be screened before boarding the buses and facemask is made mandatory. Meanwhile, private bus operators citing operational costs said that that 60% occupancy of buses will not help them to run the show. “Maintenance was not taken up in our fleets in the past five month. We have to spend at least Rs 1 lakh per bus. We hope that the government will waive road tax,” R Balakrishnan, president, Trichy Omnibus Operators Association, said.
Meanwhile SETC officials said that all the districts will be connected from Trichy central bus stand and Chathiram bus stand by ensuring the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Total fleets: 99
Buses to be operated on Monday: 13
Destination: Chennai
Normal seats: 43
Seats available by ensuring social distancing: 26
Timing: 6 am to 11 pm