As the bus strike entered its sixth day on Tuesday, B Jayakumar, 52, of Thiruvottiyur, was fatally run over by an MTC bus near Broadway in the city, taking the toll during the strike period in the state to five.
The driver of the bus M Ravi, 40, has been arrested. Several non-fatal accidents too were reported across the state, after temporary drivers were pressed into service. With the transport corporations losing 65% of their revenue each day, the total loss has crossed the Rs 100-crore mark, say sources.
“Of the 6,809 staff, nearly 86 % or 5,918 drivers, conductors and other administrative staff were on strike,” said R Vasudevan, a CITU leader, adding that some of them joined the Tuesday stir with their family members.
The state has issued notices to nearly 60,000 workers for abstaining from work on January 5 and 6 even after the Madras HC ordered them to return to work. At least 68 crew members have been suspended on charges of disembarking passengers halfway and indulging in violence.
The transport department has employed nearly 15,000 temporary staff across its eight corporations. “At least 75.58% of the fleet has been in operation till 6 pm on Tuesday,” a transport department official said.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s appeal in the assembly, urging the workers to accept the government’s offer and withdraw the strike had little impact. Joined by their family members, including children, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation workers gathered outside divisional offices of TNSTC across the state and raised slogans.
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