MTC fleets to fix doors after footboard tragedy
Semi Low floor buses that were bought under JNNURM and Pre-JNNURM era had automatic doors in them. But most of them were not used properly. This problem should be fixed in the SLFs operated in Coimbatore and Madurai also. Doors of these SLFs were either tied with rope or Clamped with the floor. TN govt should make arrangements to make them work and they should make it mandatory to close the doors once the buses started moving.
Below is the news item which talks about fixing the issues that are present in the SLFs doors of MTC. MTC should add automatic doors in the new buses that will get added in future.
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CHENNAI: The death of four students travelling on the footboard of a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus on Monday has prompted the state machinery begin repairs on automatic doors of all buses that had them earlier. All buses to be introduced will also have doors.
However, MTC officials say it is too cumbersome to fix automatic doors in the existing fleet of buses that do not have them. “The chassis has to be redesigned and the continental valve should be altered. We will, however, make sure that those buses designed to have automatic doors will have them,” said the official.
Members of the state transport employee unions are, however, not convinced about the plan. “Since Madras high court took up suo motu action, the management has promised something,” said K Sekhar, general secretary of State Transport Employees Union, affiliated to CITU.
Of the 3,600 MTC buses, 1,500 deluxe services and Volvo buses had come with automatic doors, but many of them have fallen into disuse. Buses with automatic doors were introduced in 2007.
Police data since 2005 show a clear link between having automatic doors and prevention of fatal accidents. The number of fatal accidents due to footboard travel has fallen since the introduction of automatic doors. While 30 people travelling on footboards died in accidents in 2005, only 13 died in 2009. With poor maintenance of doors, the number has slowly started going up again. In 2010 the number stood at 21 and 28 in 2011, almost equal to the pre-automatic door period.
“Automatic doors in about 70% of the buses don’t work now,” said Sekhar. Conductors say the problem is severe on routes where students travel.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Traffic Police on Friday launched a campaign on the dangers of footboard travel.
Source: Times of India – Chennai
TNSTC Blog - TamilNadu State Transport Corporation Blog 
opposing to MTC officials reply, i ve seen and travelled in BMTC fleets in bangalore, which are having the regular chasis. in those fleet, (which are more than 5 years of service) also the automatic doors has been fixed and still in use.
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