Tiruchy, Sept 1:
Private tour operators and taxi owners in Tiruchy on Monday urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw free travel for women on mofussil and express buses, claiming that the expansion of the scheme would adversely affect their livelihoods.
A delegation of private operators met Tiruchy District Collector Pratik Tayal and submitted a petition seeking an alternative arrangement or withdrawal of the free travel facility.
The operators said the government had extended free bus travel for women to express and mofussil services across the State. They feared that passengers would increasingly opt for government buses offering free travel, affecting the business of private operators.
They said their sector was already under pressure due to rising fuel prices and other operational challenges and claimed that several people dependent on private transport services had lost their employment.
P Ramesh, president of the Tiruchy Central Region Tourist Vehicle Drivers Welfare Association, said the operators had also submitted an appeal to the Chief Minister explaining their difficulties and were awaiting a favourable response.
The operators sought an alternative livelihood support mechanism if the government continued with the free travel scheme.
They also demanded that road tax be collected once every three months instead of at existing intervals and urged the government to provide diesel at a subsidised price.
The operators argued that such measures would reduce their operating burden and help sustain employment in the private transport sector.
The petition comes amid the State government’s continued expansion of subsidised and free public transport initiatives aimed at improving mobility and reducing the financial burden on passengers. The private operators, however, have raised concerns that such measures could adversely affect their competitiveness and economic viability.