The State on Thursday informed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that around 140 government buses would be operated for Tyagi Immanuel Sekaran Memorial Day to be observed on September 11 in Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district.
A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel directed authorities to deploy two police personnel on each bus. The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including the public interest litigation petition filed by C. Selvakumar of Madurai, seeking a direction to the State to operate an adequate number of buses for the people to attend the event
Mr. Selvakumar sought a direction to the authorities to prescribe a procedure, time limit and manner for receiving, considering and disposing of applications seeking government buses on a contract carriage basis in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and applicable Rules, without arbitrary refusal, particularly during the annual Tyagi Immanuel Sekaran Memorial Day on September 11.
Permitting government buses to operate on a contract carriage basis during such large public events would serve a larger public interest. It would ensure the safe transportation of passengers, reduce dependence on overcrowded private vehicles, minimise road accidents, reduce traffic congestion and significantly assist the police and civil administration in maintaining public order and effective traffic management. It would also reduce unauthorised private transportation, prevent overloading of vehicles, facilitate effective police regulation, and promote road safety, he said.
