MTC flash strike in Chennai

The Hindu

Chennai, 04 October 2010: Scores of commuters were left stranded on their way to work on Monday morning as MTC drivers went on a flash strike demanding action against those who had assaulted their colleagues in an incident of road rage on Sunday night.

 

According to the Thirumangalam police, four MTC employees have been admitted to the Government General Hospital, three of them in critical condition, after they were assaulted around 9.30 p.m. on Sunday by a gang led by A.Senthil, the son of Ambattur Municipal Councillor A.Anbu. Three MTC buses were also damaged.

 

In response to the incident, nearly a third of the MTC’s operational fleet of 3,000 buses did not ply on Monday morning.

 

K.Rakesh reached Ambattur depot at 7 a.m. on his way to his workplace in Guindy. After waiting for 2 hours, he caught an overcrowded share autorickshaw to CMBT in the hope of finding transit. “None of the 70 series buses were on the road. All the share autorickshaws came fully loaded from Avadi itself. Even if I eventually reach office, they will ask me go home for being late.”

 

Passengers boarding an MTC bus in Chennai. MTC services were severely affected today due to a flash strike by the employees following an attack on the outskirts of the city.

 

 

Nearly 55 lakh people use MTC services everyday in the city.

 

Three of the 25 depots in the city, namely Ambattur, Anna Nagar and Avadi, were completely shut down. All 450 buses that ply from those depots were grounded. Services from eight other depots in the city were severely affected.

 

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shakeel Akhter said that four persons, including the primary accused A.Senthil, were arrested in connection with the attack on the MTC crew at Padi last night.

 

Cases have been registered against the accused under IPC Sec 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty).

 

At around 1 p.m., officials were still holding talks with agitating workers. A huge crowd of MTC drivers and conductors prevented efforts to start services from the affected depots.