Public Transportation Improvement in Madurai

Riding the bus from Palanganatham bus stop to Periyar Bus stand is fun-filled all the time. The bus is always full and overflowing on the foot boards. If it is a bus coming from south, then it is already full. If the bus is starting from Palanganatham, then the bus is parked and stays there for people to board. As passengers board the bus and when it is time to start the bus (as per the bus timings) then the bus starts from the bus stop.

Drivers are usually well experienced, due to their longer tenure in the government transport.

It is definitely considered that the drinking and driving is crime. Madurai employees are usually very honest and the employees would not drink and drive, when on duty. However, many do smoke cigarettes, which is fine. Any passenger has the right to complain against any driver, who might be drinking and driving.

Usually most of the accidents with public transport happen, due to passenger’s mistake or due to carelessness. Even in July 2008, there was an accident reported in “The Hindu” that the passenger was killed when he slipped on the first foot boards. May be door-ed buses would help, in this case. If it is door-ed there is a less chance that somebody would board on the foot-board OR somebody would get down or climb the bus while the bus is in motion.
The city buses are driven very slow inside the city and it is even usually 5-10-15-20 miles per hour – which is good.

It is a responsibility of the passengers and pedestrians to be careful and follow the traffic rules and it is just not the responsibility of public transport drivers.

In Madurai, there is a preferred seating arrangement for handicapped and challenged persons. Other than that, there is not much help for handicapped. In foreign countries and developed countries, bus kneels down for the handicapped to get in. Buses are air-conditioned due to varied climate requirements. When School buses stop and serve children, all the vehicles stop behind and in front. Will it ever happen in Madurai?

There are various issues here –
1) Poor Road Infrastructure,
2) People never take responsibility and act as good corporation citizens,
3) Poor Traffic sense among people
4) Public transportation in poor condition
5) Government Transportation is running in loss.

An average bus’s lifetime is only 6 years and/or 7 lakh miles. But, more than 60% of the public transportation vehicles have already crossed the limit, either in miles or in years. Most of them are more than a decade old. Thanks to Right-To-Information-Act of 2005.