Special teams formed to monitor omni buses during festival season, says Minister

Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar on Monday said special teams had been formed to check irregularities in the operation of omni buses during the Pongal festival season.

Speaking to reporters after participating in the Pongal festival at the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation’s Ariyalur depot on Monday, Mr. Sivasankar said the Transport Commissioner had constituted special teams to conduct checks at all major check posts. “If irregularities are detected, penalties will be levied and even vehicles will be impounded,” he said. However, passengers, who prefer to travel by such buses, often do not come forward to lodge complaints in case of any irregularity, he said.

The Minister said that special buses were being operated from Kilambakkam in Chennai and district headquarters for the Pongal festival for six days instead of three days so to enable people to travel to their home towns to celebrate Pongal and return to places of work.